


Monster in the Mirror

by PippinPips



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Charles is a little crazy, In which Erik is a Troll, M/M, Mirror!Demon, Panicking Charles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-18
Updated: 2012-04-16
Packaged: 2017-11-02 03:51:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 43,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/364667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PippinPips/pseuds/PippinPips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles is a mutant professor, who has a rather normal life up until a figure in the mirror interrupts everything that could ever be considered normal and gives him a little more than he bargained for. He might also be falling in love with the demon who lives in the Mirror. Though that might not be the worst thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been posting this parts on Tumblr and I decided that due to this story eventually becoming drastically longer I was going to put parts 1-10 up here and then when I get to another good ending point I'll upload another chapter. Don't worry too much chapters shouldn't be too far and few between.

It’d been happening a lot more lately, he’d be standing in front of the mirror getting ready to go to the club, when out of the corner of his eye he’d see something flicker. The first time Charles told himself that it was just his imagination; there was nothing in the mirror because that would be absurd. However, after the third or fourth time, Charles was starting to get a little worried about the whole flickering mirror. He’d told Moira about it, as well as his sister, but the both of them had said maybe he’d drank a little too much before going to the bar or the club. Charles stared at the mirror.

“If you’re Bloody Mary, I just want you to know if you’re going to scratch out my eyes I do hope you'd get on with it,” Charles snapped. There was no reaction, but of course there wouldn't be, because Charles was talking to the mirror. Shaking his head, Charles returned to his usual routine and tried to keep his mind away from what the mirror was not doing. Yet, once he left the room, Charles’ could’ve sworn he had heard someone laughing at him. If it hadn’t come from the mirror, Charles’ would’ve said it was attractive, instead it was horribly terrifying. He whipped out his cellphone, immediately calling his good friend Hank. The other man picked up the phone on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“I need an exorcist, my mirror is haunted,” Charles gasped out. However, before he could even pay attention to Hank’s spluttering reply a voice behind him echoed throughout the tiny bathroom.

“Oh, Charles, don’t be like that.”

The squeak that left Charles’ mouth was definitely out of the realm of manly and he really wasn’t listening too hard to Hank’s words instead he let out a pathetic gasp.

“Hank, my mirror just spoke to me!” he shouted. Charles didn’t know quite what to do. It wasn’t every day that his mirror spoke, but it had been becoming a daily occurrence that his mirror had something moving in it so maybe it was just a step up. “Hank, I cannot have a demon thing in my mirror that tries to possess me and end the world as we know it!”

“Charles, I think you’ve read that book one too many times, also are you sure you didn’t just leave the radio on?” Hank asked, he sounded rather resigned as if Charles called him often with problems that weren’t really problems, which never actually really happened. When he called it was usually of the utmost importance or he'd locked himself out of his apartment and was too drunk to talk to his landlord properly. Though that was important too.

“I highly doubt my radio would tell me not to be like that and address me by name!” Charles snapped.

“Your name isn’t that strange,” Hank reminded him. “Why don’t you just look at the mirror, and I’ll stay on the phone just in case the boogie man decides he needs to stand on the other side and wave at you. Okay?” The idea was something Charles was half-tempted to try it because if there was a grotesque mirror demon hanging out in his mirror he at least had Hank on the other line to yell _“I told you so”_ at while he hightailed it out of his apartment. “Charles? Are you there?” Hank asked. He was actually sounding a little worried. Served the prat right.

“Yes, yes. I’m here. I am just going to edge back into the bathroom-” His breath caught in his throat as he saw a very attractive man giving him his best impression of a shark while seemingly still trapped in his mirror. There was a _bloody_ demon in his mirror and the damned thing was extremely attractive to boot. He gasped like an idiot and his hands spasmed.

“Hello, Charles. It looks like you dropped your phone,” the demon pointed downwards. At that moment Charles realized that the demon was quite correct, and that his foot was throbbing from the cellphone being dropped on it. However had he not noticed that. He looked back at up the mirror and the demon within.

“Shite,” he breathed out. The demon just laughed at him. 

Of course the demon laughed at him, it was a demon. From what the media and any books had taught him, demons were horrendous characters who liked to taunt humans with their ways. Charles took a deep breath and tried to level a glare at the demon, or the figment of his imagination. He was starting to worry about himself just a little bit.

“What? You were basically begging me to come out, especially with that whole Bloody Mary spiel. Who I might add is a hack compared to me,” the demon said. “You might want to pick up the phone before your friend sends the calvary.” Charles spluttered for a few moments his mind racing to and fro trying to get the upper hand over something that shouldn’t exist.

“What if I want the calvary?” Charles ventured. The demon sent him another shark grin before tapping his fingers along his jawline.

“Seeing as I can come and go as I please,” the demon trailed off. The threat or the promise, as Charles assumed it was hung heavy in the air. The blue-eyed man puffed out his cheeks.

“You are one cheeky bastard,” he huffed. The comment seemed to amuse the demon if the short burst of a chuckle was anything to base it on.

“And you’re taking this better than the others,” the demon replied. Charles gaped for a moment, unsure if he should actually feel scandalized the by the fact that the demon had played with other humans.

“You cheating son of a bitch. No, you get out of my mirror and don’t come back until I’m the only person’s mirror you haunt!” Charles demanded, pointing his finger right at the demon. The creature’s eyes, gorgeous green-blue-gray eyes, widened to a rather ridiculous width before a closed mouth smile curled over his lips. “Okay, I shouldn’t have said that, I actually don’t want you to stay in my mirror forever and just stalk me. Because honestly eventually I’ll slip up and talk about the cheeky bastard of a demon that lives in my mirror and my friends seem to think I’m a troublesome case as it is,” Charles rambled on. The creature bobbed his head in agreement, but he didn’t leave the reflective surface instead he pointed his finger downward once more.

“Charles, your phone,” he said. The brunet looked down at his still throbbing foot and at the phone that was still very much lit up, and if he listened hard enough he could hear not only Hank’s worried voice but also Raven’s screeching for him.

“Right, right, my phone must not let them know I’ve had a psychotic break and I see attractive men in my mirror,” Charles muttered mostly to himself. The demon seemed even more amused by being called attractive, but he refrained from speaking once Charles had the phone pressed to his ear. “So right, I kind of slipped and what not, but I am now completely and utterly fine. However, I think I am going to take a rain check on going out tonight,” he spoke quickly. On the other side he could hear Raven let out a huff and the distinct noise of his sister wrestling Hank’s phone from him.

“Charles, what the hell? We hear voices not you falling, unless you falling now has a voice track. Did you get a new boyfriend?” Raven started peppering him immediately with questions. Charles, however, wanted to roll his eyes only his sister could get him freaking out about a mirror demon lead to him trying to hide a new boyfriend. Yet, that would be a very good excuse to use, even if only Raven would believe him.

“Yes, well you caught me; I was just trying to keep it a secret. This thing is new and I must go now!” Charles said. He let out a sigh of relief once he hung up.

“You lie _oh so well_ ,” the demon teased.

“Shut up,” Charles snapped. The demon had the audacity to pretend to be offended by the remark, but he didn’t leave his post from the mirror. Actually it seemed the more Charles talked to him the more comfortable he got inside the mirror. The brunet glared as best he could at the supernatural creature. “By the way, why are you in my mirror? And who are you if you’re not Bloody Mary?” he asked. The creature made a show of thinking about his response, while Charles was getting rather impatient.

“You can call me Erik,” the demon finally responded. Charles nodded one response down one more to go. “Also, it looks like your sister isn’t going to take your excuse at face value anymore,” he added. Charles’ furrowed his brow trying for a moment to figure out what the demon meant by that before he felt his phone vibrate, yet instead of a call it was just a text from Raven saying if he wanted to ever stop hoarding his _boyfriend_ then they would be at the Diamond Lounge for the rest of the night.

“You know you were just invited out to the Diamond Lounge as my fake boyfriend. Just thought that would amuse you,” Charles spoke before glancing at the mirror. Once he did however he noticed that the reflective surface was only showing his own image. Erik the Mirror demon had left while he was looking away. Narrowing his eyes, Charles leaned forward and tapped on the surface. It was strange but it almost felt like he had been abandoned.

“Erik? Erik! You bastard come back out here! I decided not to go to a club so we could figure this situation out, so you get back here!” He kept tapping on the glass trying to coax Erik out from wherever he had managed to go. Charles for a few heartbeats stood back and wondered if the mirror demon had his own world where he would chill and talk about his interesting run in with a human. “Erik, are you like the Candyman? You know, you’ll kill me with a hook or whatever that villains’ premise was!” he tried coaxing the man out once more. Still nothing shimmered or moved within the mirror, except for his reflected appearance of course. “You know what? Fine! I am just going to go to the library and I’ll research mirror creatures! Or, maybe I’ll research the other world! I’ll do that if you don’t reappear!” As the silence continued to hang in the bathroom, Charles thought it would be best if he didn’t question why so soon after the demon’s appearance that he wanted the creature to return to him. The only explanation he could arrive to it was that despite the terrifying meaning as to why a supernatural creature would show up in his mirror, having it happen was eternally intriguing and the scientist in Charles couldn’t let the creature just disappear without any more answers. Also, it was definitely not because the demon was probably one of the most attractive males Charles’ had seen in a very long time. “Fine then, Erik, I’m going to go research your kind!”

Charles switched out his partying clothes out for something more respectable and fitting for the library, and even as he grabbed for his phone and keys he definitely completely wasn’t trying to listen for the mirror demon to talk to him. Not at all. He of course didn’t even lean back into his apartment to whisper a good-bye to the demon, and he definitely wasn’t half tempted to return to his apartment to have it out with the demon when he heard a good-bye whispered back. No, he was going to search to find out whatever Erik could be.

 

~*~

 

Erik waited until he heard the door close for good before he started to move freely from reflective surface to reflective surface. It’d been a while since he’d had such an _interesting_ reaction to his appearance. Most people went into spasms before demanding he couldn’t be real, and of course there were the few freaks who wanted him to take them into the _Other World_. As if they knew the actual dangers to the other world. Erik scoffed at the idea of taking a person bodily into that world when all he wanted was to do was be able to step out into their world and away from Shaw. Hell, he was only six souls off from his freedom, unless Shaw decided it was time to up the quota again, and he had been on the way to trying to suck Charles’ soul from his body. Of course that was the very moment the young man had decided to call him Bloody Mary and challenge him to basically come out in the open. Soul stealing was quite a delicate process, and definitely one he was quite good at, but stealing Charles’ soul was becoming less and less appealing as he watched the human longer.

Stealing a glance around the human’s apartment, Erik noted the time and remembered another one of his intended victims would be spending an hour in front of her mirror peeling off the aches of the day. Plus, he was out one soul might as well collect hers. Yet, before he stole away to another apartment, Erik glanced around once more, maybe he would come back to see what Charles found out about his kind.

 

~*~

 

When Charles got home from the library he had an armful of books, which had caused an upturn of a brow from the librarian, and a Grande cup of coffee. He was more of a tea man, most of the time, but when it came to desperate measures coffee was the best aide for long nights. Plus, he could only get through so many books while within the time constraints that the library hours allowed. Charles set down the pile and proceeded to look around his apartment at every single reflective surface he owned. One of the myths had spoken about how anything reflective could host a creature from the _other world_ , or the mirror world as it was also often called. There were more than enough theories about the mirror world and when Charles had ventured to the internet to look up some of the more obscure things he had found a large amount of people who were infatuated with the idea of another world. Eventually, after many fruitless searches on academic standings and as he started to feel the beginning of desperation amounting in his body, Charles finally ventured onto a forum talking about the mirror world. Most of it had been completely hypothetical, but every once in a while a few people would spout on about how they ran into a man or woman in the mirror and once they realized what they saw the person had up and vanished. Each time he read one of the stories about a man, Charles fought back the urge to try and private contact to person so that they could describe the man to him. It wouldn’t do for him to come off as insane on an internet forum, no less. Eventually he had powered down the computer, but not before he cleared his browsing history.

After checking the bathroom for a third time, and calling out Bloody Mary or Candyman or even the creature’s name with no reaction coming from the said mirror, Charles settled down with his coffee and began to read another book. As with how most went, the book in his hands had a tendency to veer towards crazed, but unexpectedly it stood closer to trying to bridge the gap between the mirror myths and actual science. However, Charles had to roll his eyes at the chapter talking about possible victims of the mirror people. While Erik had come off as a royal prick while they were speaking, he hadn’t quite come off as a man trying to kill him. If anything, Erik seemed more like he would return in hopes that Charles would amuse him further. Charles settled down for another chapter on the possibilities of what the mirror people were, the slightly childish portion of his mind worried that maybe Erik was intending to harm him and other people. He would’ve entertained the thoughts just enough to toss it out, but even as he did a tap sounded to his left.

“Well then Professor you seem to have robbed the library of books,” Erik whistled. Charles didn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes; however, he did try to keep the grin from his face. With the return of Erik, however, he could actually get down to business and actually ask some questions. Charles’ twisted to face the attractive auburn haired creature and sent him a pleasant smile.

“The fact that you know I’m a professor makes me wonder how long you’ve been watching me, Erik,” Charles mused. He placed a hand on his chin and let a smile unfurl from his lips. “Are you ready to answer questions?” The creature sent him a slightly confused look, for only a few moments before he seemed to shake off all expressions and returned him a rather blank look.

“That depends on the questions, I do have to keep some secrets,” Erik replied. As gingerly as he could, Charles raised a couple fingers to his temples trying to see if he could reach to the mirror creature, but there was nothing there. It was almost as if his power didn’t even register that there was another breathing creature in the apartment with him. He could obviously feel his neighbors as they moved about their nightly routines. It looked like he was going to have to get all of his information out of Erik the old fashioned way.

“All right first things first, can you walk out of the mirror?” Charles asked. He had already pulled out a sheet of notebook paper, ready and poised to write down anything relevant that Erik could reveal. The man’s brows furrowed before he held his arms out, palms upwards as if to say _look at where I am_. “Right, so I am going to take that as a no then. Are you human?”

“Charles, I live in a mirror,” Erik said dryly. The brunet arched a brow and puckered his lips a little at he thought on the comment.

“Doesn’t mean you aren’t technically human, Erik, you could very well just be from a _different_ plane of existence and where your people found a way to at least look in on another world. Or at least that was a theory I read.” Erik snorted, and he looked highly amused that the thought even crossed Charles’ mind, or maybe he was amused it crossed any person’s mind.

“So to them, the people in the mirror are something akin to aliens?” he asked. Charles stayed silent, he knew exactly what Erik was trying to do and he wasn’t about to let the mirror demon have his way. The other man seemed to know, at least after a few beats of silence, that the shorter man wasn’t going to let him have his usual fun as he gave off a puff of air. “No, Charles I am not what you’d call human.” Charles nodded; glad he could get that cleared.

“Now are you a ghost, a demon, or other?” Charles asked. The incredulous look Erik gave him was almost worth asking the questions, and Charles had to fight to keep the wide smile off of his face.

“What is _other_ supposed to entail?” Erik asked. Charles imagined the other man would’ve been leaning against a wall if he could and staring him down along with the lounging.

“Not demon or ghost? I don’t know they weren’t quite specific all the time when they were describing Mirror People,” Charles snapped waving his hand in front of his face. Erik merely shot him another amused smirk before something caught his attention. Charles wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but at one moment Erik had his full attention on him and then next the auburn haired creature-man was glancing over his shoulder.

“We’ll have to cut this short, Professor, but no to both,” Erik said quickly, and Charles merely watched fascinated as the man walked towards the edge of the mirror and disappeared. Settling back on his seat, Charles furrowed his brow and tried to think of more questions he could pelt Erik with when the creature returned, because the creature was obviously going to return.

“Oh, bugger, I am actually looking forward to questioning that prat,” Charles sighed.

 

~*~

 

He was in Shaw’s office or what someone could maybe consider an office after visiting Charles, and all he can do is stare at Shaw’s metal desk and listen to it as it weeps. Metal always wept in the mirror world and for a moment Erik wonders if it wept in the human realm as well and part of him wondered if it doesn’t make any noises what so ever. Still it was better to gaze at the weeping metal than to stare at Shaw’s face while the man tried to interrogate him. The questions whiz past Erik’s ears and embed themselves into the walls all while he wondered where all of Charles’ questions would lead to in the end. To say the professor intrigued him was as if to say that humans breathed, which he assumed they did. Yet, as he gazed past the ruler of the mirror world, Erik mused on all the things he could do to unnerve the poor man in between his collections, of course.

“Emma tells me that you’ve been a busy boy, Erik.” The words snapped him from his thoughts almost immediately, and Erik leveled his gaze towards Shaw. “I have to agree with her there, Erik. I don’t think we’ve ever had an influx of currency quite like it. Almost makes me want to raise your quota one more hundred just to see how much faster you’ll scurry.” The words made Erik ache; he ached to be able to hurt Shaw, to show him that he wasn’t just some puny peon that the man could force into further bonds. Yet, even as he ached to kill Shaw right then, he knew Shaw had the only key to open a passage between the two worlds. “However, I’m not the type to completely punish hard workers, and so I am only going to raise your soul quota to another fifty.” The metal groaned weakly, almost pitifully as if it were trying to move at Erik’s beck and call, but it couldn’t quite manage. “That will be all, Erik,” Shaw said as he shooed the other man away. Erik turned his heel ignoring the rage and the pull the metal had on him, he needed to get fifty-five more souls, at least on the bright side it would allow Erik more time to bother the delectable professor.

 

~*~

 

After Erik had left, Charles had had a rather uneventful night in between a couple of inebriated texts from his sister, it had luckily been nothing too risqué for him to learn about his younger sister, and in turn he’d had a rather restful night. Once of course he’d covered up the mirrors in his entire apartment. He didn’t really want to chance Erik watching him in his sleep. There was something incredibly creepy about the whole idea of a mirror being, being able to stare at him while he was most vulnerable. Plus, from the way Erik acted, Charles was pretty sure that Erik wasn’t the only thing that went bump in the mirror. Actually, Charles worried that Erik wasn’t even the strongest or darkest the things that went bump at night could be. So, he covered the mirror and only pulled the sheet from it when he needed to brush his teeth and finish getting ready to have breakfast with Raven. Charles almost expected Erik to appear and do his strange lounge-stand while commenting on how he looked or maybe even getting off a comment on his cardigan. Raven always had a few choice words to say about his ability, or inability in her mind, to dress himself, and Charles highly doubted that Erik would be all that different. Yet, as he walked away from the mirror he felt slightly cheated by Erik’s absence. The mirror creature, or maybe he should just call Erik a Mirror Being, was beginning to have a tendency of showing up only when Charles didn’t really want or expect him to.

As Charles got into his car, his cellphone gave off a few happy vibrations before chirping out some song Raven had said Charles needed as a ringtone and then proceeded to download it and set it. Even though he had all the time in the world to change it to something he’d more prefer, more often than not Charles was just too damn lazy. Yet, as he put the phone to his ear he could hear his sister laughing at someone or something on her end.

“Hello Raven, I am surprised that you aren’t feeling the effects of your boozy night,” he greeted.

“I wasn’t that drunk, and are you on your way yet?” Raven immediately dove into her questions. Charles smiled at his sister’s voice, it was nice to talk to someone who didn’t live in a mirror, and not that it had actually been that long since he’d spoken to another person. It was just that, Erik had been on his brain since he woke up and last night all he could think of were things he wanted to ask the mirror-man.

“Yes love I am on my- WHAT THE HELL?” Charles once more found himself staring at half of Erik’s face in his rearview mirror and with his phone no longer in his hands. “Erik! What are you doing? I need that mirror!” Charles gasped out. Erik rolled his eyes and gave off a bright shark like grin, once more.

“Don’t be so worried, I’ll watch the back for you if you’re that unsure of your own driving,” Erik teased. Charles spluttered for a moment, sure that he didn’t know Erik well enough for the man to make a crack at his driving skills. Then again, maybe Erik knew him well enough. A shudder rolled down his spine at that particular notion.

“Because you aren’t going to leave, are you?” Charles asked. Erik’s grin just furthered.

“No, Charles I’m not going to leave, not right now at least, maybe in a few minutes,” he replied. If he were more naïve or honestly had no awareness of what he was dealing with, Charles would wonder why it was him who was tortured. However, he knew very much that he had merely egged the mirror-man on with his questions and demands.

“Well, then can you hold off while I talk to my, oh God, Raven is going to kill me,” Charles groaned. He didn’t wait for Erik’s response another second of hesitation wouldn’t be worth sitting through Raven’s rages of scaring her. As quickly as he could, Charles fumbled the phone back against his ear and nearly shouted, “I’m fine! I’m fine! There was just some prat who doesn’t know how to drive!” On the other end, he heard the silence and then the slow, calming breaths of his sister.

“Charles, you fucking moron, you scared me! Next time something like that happens don’t drop the phone!” she shouted. Charles held back the sigh of relief. Raven had most likely been shouting and screeching so loudly that she hadn’t heard the conversation between himself and Erik. “So, before you freaked me out, I was going to ask you if your boyfriend is coming to brunch with us or if you’re going to keep him away from me longer,” Raven asked. Charles almost immediately locked eyes with the other man, and even though he was sure Erik couldn’t hear what Raven was saying the auburn haired man was looking ever more amused by something.

“I don’t think he can make it, I sent him off to go to work and don’t ask me what he does, I don’t want you stalking him at his job,” Charles said, he turned his head as he spoke hoping that maybe if Erik couldn’t see his mouth then he couldn’t hear him. The chuckle he heard instead, told him that he very obviously did not manage that one.

“You’re not being very fair, but I’ll let you keep him a secret one more week! After that I am going to make sure I at least accidentally run into him!” Charles blanched at the idea of Raven _running into_ Erik in any way shape or form. Though he was pretty sure if Raven would see Erik then it would be because Erik was feeling particularly impish that day. Internally, he reminded himself to ask Erik if he was in any way an imp.

“Of course Raven, do make sure you don’t terrify the poor man when you meet him, but can you at least give me month with him? By then we’ll definitely know if it’s going to work out or not,” Charles replied. He tried to cover up Erik’s laugh with an impromptu cough, but he was pretty sure he fail by the noise Raven made on her end.

“He’s in the car with you! Isn’t he? Charles, you prick, you’re going to drop him off at his work and then you’re coming to brunch. So I am going to miss him because you’re hoarding him all to yourself!” The accusation would’ve made Charles flush if Erik were anything more than the man who was not only his fake boyfriend, but also a creature that lived in mirrors. Even thinking about the story he’d have to come up with to explain Erik made Charles question his own sanity, yet it didn’t keep him from sending a hopeful glance Erik’s way, asking him silently to at least play along for a moment. Maybe Erik was merciful or maybe he just wasn’t that much of a bastard, but he gave a sigh.

“Charles I need you to turn left here.” And somehow, despite Erik calling him by his given name and being rather informal during all of their time together, the domesticity of the sentence sent a warm thrill through Charles. God, he blanched. He needed to get a boyfriend, and a real one at that not one that lived in mirrors. Charles titled the phone away from his mouth as if he were really talking to someone beside him.

“All right, have a nice time and ignore that slave driver of a boss,” he said, he wasn’t quite sure why he added the last part, but the look he received from Erik made him wonder what the mirror-man’s life was like when he wasn’t terrorizing good innocent people by showing up when they least expected it. Maybe Erik did have a slave driver as a boss, but what type of work did his kind do? Charles itched to ask the question, yet even as he did he knew that it was not the time, nor the place to inquire such things. Raven would surely know something was up if Charles started to third-degree his supposed boyfriend.

“Ugh! You’re giving me cavities, Charles! Just kick his ass out and come get brunch with me if you aren’t going to let me meet him,” Raven complained. A fond smile passed over Charles’ face and as he looked up in the rearview mirror he could see Erik’s eyes latched intently onto him.

“Raven says hi and she’s sorry she’ll be missing you,” Charles lied, keeping up the charade on both sides. Erik laughed, almost acting as if he knew that that was probably the last thing Raven said, and once more Charles wondered how well Erik knew him.

“Tell her I’m sorry, but work calls,” Erik replied, and Charles sat there for a moment staring back at the face in the mirror before it dawned on him that Raven needed to hear a car door open and close or else she would never believe his _boyfriend_ actually left the vehicle. Thus Charles awkwardly flailed as he tried to open and close the passenger door, trying not to freak out some of the innocent bystanders in his awkwardness.

“You’re totally making out with his face, while I’m on the phone with him aren’t you? Jeeze, Charles couldn’t you at least pull it away?” Raven groaned. Charles felt a moment of confusion because he honestly couldn’t fathom why his sister would think he was making out with someone, he wasn’t even making any noise, but then again maybe silence wasn’t his best option.

“Sorry, I’ll refrain from doing that,” Charles said. He glanced up at the rearview mirror to see Erik still looking at him; he hadn’t left his post which most surprised the brunet. Still, he wasn’t about to bring the mirror-man back into the conversation, not when he finally got Raven off trying to guilt trip him about not bringing his boyfriend with him, his _fake_ boyfriend who lived _in a mirror_. Charles sighed; he really needed to get a real boyfriend.

“You better, Charles, now how close are you to the café?” Raven asked.

“I’ll be there in about five minutes,” he answered. The next moment he looked up at Erik trying to gage the man’s reaction, the man was gone. Charles blinked, he wasn’t sure if he was relieved Erik went off to do something or if he was sad to see him go, and there was also the fact that he still had no idea what Erik did while he was away. For all he knew Erik had a fondness for messing with mentally unstable people.

“Well, then I will see you then.” And without another word, Raven hung up on him. If he wasn’t so used to Raven’s ways of life, he would’ve stared at the phone; instead he merely shrugged and dropped his phone down onto the seat next to him.

 

~*~

 

If he were stronger and was sure appearing at some convention wouldn’t send a mob away from the mirror screaming and harboring that knowledge that his kind existenced, Erik would grab all fifty-five of his souls in one go. Though he did suppose if the people who were completely enamored with his kind would be easy, at least they would believe when he said that he was going to take them into his world and there they would be happy. But then there came the problem with the lack of power source. Shaw had limited all collectors’ powers to the point that three souls at once took it an extreme amount of effort to wrangle. Still, what Erik wouldn’t give to just waltz in Shaw’s office and set down all fifty-five souls before telling the man he was out of there and that he would take his one-way ticket into the human realm. Knowing Shaw, though, the man would only be shocked for a few moments before he would up Erik’s quote another hundred just to see if he’d go one day and pull out 100 souls. It would be a never ending cycle of Shaw upping his quota, but the mirror realm worked one way and one way only. Azazel, the only person he could really call his friend not that he particularly cared to call the red bastard a friend, had often mentioned that he had more than enough souls stored up to be able to get into the human way the illegal way, but the problem with that was the illegal way was only temporary. Shaw eventually would find the traitor, torture them and then send them on the never ending quest of a thousand plus souls and with the quota of thirty souls a week and if they didn’t make the quota all the collected souls would be sent back out. Eventually all those men didn’t even go out and move about the mirrors and windows, it was hopeless.

Erik stilled, his mind latching onto an idea seemingly terrified that maybe if he didn’t cling to the idea it would simply drift off into an abyss. What if he could nudge Charles in the correct direction on finding out a permanent way for him to leave the mirror world without having to go through Shaw and his ever changing quotas? A grin settled over his lips. Charles was already intrigued by the whole idea and it wouldn’t be too hard to convince him search along those lines, though that also meant that he would have to start dropping hints for the Professor to cling to. Maybe their interactions would end up much more beneficial than Erik had previously assumed. Plus, what sort of academic wouldn’t want to know more about something he didn’t quite understand.

“Did you manage to get the soul of some saintly person?” Azazel asked as he settled next to him, “and does it glow gold like Emma says?” The rumor around the higher ups was that Emma had acquired some priest or some spiritual leader’s soul and thus was promoted to the top rank, Erik wouldn’t put it past Emma to whammy some of the easier minds, which were the only ones she could mess with, and make them believe the soul they were carrying was golden or heaven sent. Actually Erik wouldn’t be shocked if Emma had sweet talked some religious person into believing she was some higher being, especially with her affinity for wearing all white. She no longer had to acquire souls for the good of the rest of the world, but that also meant she no longer had a chance at leaving to the human realm, at least not permanently.

“If I had, I wouldn’t be able to keep saying no to the promotions,” Erik snapped. Azazel didn’t reply to that, he didn’t even speak instead he merely nodded his head and stared off towards the maze that led to the human world. Erik liked that about Azazel, the man didn’t seem to need to start random conversations and he knew when to drop it. Plus it wasn’t as if he were about to tell the red man his escape plan, they might be friends but in their realm it was everyone for themselves.

 

~*~

 

Charles smiled at his sister as she continued to talk about some of her adventures with her artistic friends, but as much as he tried to pay attention to his lovely sister he couldn’t stop glancing at windows or the glasses or anything really reflective. Erik seemed to prefer mirrors, but for all Charles knew the other man could easily slip along a window and play off as some of the reflections of a passerby. Yet every moment his attention moved towards Erik and the reflective planes around him, Charles would shake himself before heading back into the conversation with Raven. If his sister was noticing she was keeping the information to herself for the moment. And if Raven, was trying to be merciful he was going to send some thankful vibes her way.

“So, what does your boyfriend do?” Raven asked. She laid her head on her intertwined hands and smile at him. Charles startled at the question, though he really should’ve known that eventually his sister was going to find her way exactly back to that particular question. It seemed like he couldn’t escape Erik in his head or even outside of it. Still the idea of making up a job for Erik was daunting. Raven took his silence as something completely different and started pouting. “I’m not going to search out every lawyer in the city and ask them if they are dating my brother! Plus I don’t even know his name! Is he a lawyer?” she asked. Charles could’ve easily just said yes, nodded his head and agreed with his sister that yes his new boyfriend was indeed a lawyer, but for some, strange reason agreeing to Erik being a lawyer would mean mentally Erik would be one of those corporate lawyers who had no morals or scruples.

“No, he’s an engineer,” Charles answered, the words burst from his lips almost like an explosion, and the more Charles thought about it the more he liked the idea of Erik being an engineer. He could imagine the man would just love terrorizing the poor helpless people under him.

“An engineer, huh? Sounds sexy.” Rave purred at him. Cracking a smile, Charles couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled from him. It rippled through his chest and out of his mouth almost like a dance.

“Now, don’t go stealing my boyfriend Raven, you already have your own,” he teased, but he seemed to go too far as Raven sobered quickly and looked at him in a rather serious manner.

“You know I’d never do that, right Charles?” she asked as she tentatively reached forward to grab his hand. Covering her hand with his other, Charles brought up his sister’s hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles. As his lips brushed against the normal peachy skin, Charles felt regret that Raven couldn’t show her true self and that whenever they went out she had to hide herself.

“No more of that m’dear, now where all did you and your cohorts end up last night?” The switching of topics was welcome; at least that was what Charles took Raven’s smile as. She gently pulled her hand back away from his grasp as she sat back in her chair.

“Oh you know the usual,” she replied. She added a shrug to her words and Charles got the message loud and clear, the mutant friendly ones where his sister wouldn’t have to worry about flashing her blue skin if she got too drunk, not that she ever wore anything but her true skin at the places, and where everyone knew not to piss of Alex or surprise Sean.

“Ah, what about that new place, did you guys decide that it wasn’t worth it?” Charles asked. Raven shrugged her shoulders upwards and shook her head.

“No, we were all too drunk by then and plus Sean was beginning to try to talk Alex into letting him ride on top of the car. So, we decided before we freaked out the rest of the world we’d better head home,” she replied. Despite her nonchalant body language at the story, Charles could hear the distain in her voice. Charles closed his eyes, hoping that he wouldn’t have to bail out his free spirited sister because she got it into her head that there should be another slightly non-violent protest for mutant rights. “But enough about my night, how was yours and please don’t tell me all you guys did was have sex because I don’t want to hear about that.” Charles let out a sigh, mostly of relief; he could deal with another change of subject.

“Nothing too big,” he lied, “we just enjoyed each other’s personalities and picked at each other’s brains.” Raven let out a groan before telling him that even when his love life was spicing up he was ridiculously boring. Charles let the comment slide because while the truth was far more interesting, Raven wouldn’t leave him alone if she knew a mirror-man visited him often and Erik seemed a little people shy.

 

Erik didn’t appear on the drive back, nor did he appear for the first few hours Charles was home alone. It felt sort of odd to keep staring at the mirror every once in a while in hopes Erik would walk on in and they could continue their conversations, but he was not about to be ashamed by wanting to further his knowledge. Though as he waited, Charles wondered once more what Erik did when he wasn’t bothering him. But those thoughts often led to dark wonderings about where exactly morals, or lack of morals, actually laid, and if he had an inkling that Erik was causing harm to people. Charles felt that maybe he should do something about that, despite the entire fact that Erik lived in the mirror and seemed to follow rules outside of normal human actions. The brunet shook his head; he really needed to get his mind off of his newest _friend_ and on something more productive like maybe some of his lesson plans. Except he couldn’t quite get his mind focused on anything other than object of his curiosity.

He tapped his fingers against his desk, staring almost sightlessly at his papers. Maybe he should just give up and call up some of his friends, or more of Moira and Raven’s friends which would then entail Raven snooping around trying to find evidence of the boyfriend. No, Charles shook his head; he wasn’t going to invite that sort of trouble. Though maybe he could invite Moira over and they could drink and then he could forget about watching the mirror, but then what if Erik came by and his missed an opportunity to question the man, he hadn’t quite had the time to do so in the morning not with Raven on the phone with him.

“Could you please just finish whatever you do and come see me?” Charles huffed aloud.

“Can’t get enough of me Professor?” He closed his eyes; of course Erik would arrive right at the best moment to embarrass him. It seemed like the mirror-man had the worst timing, or maybe it was the best, still the man’s timing was impeccable.

“Are you an imp?” Charles asked, he turned his head to the nearest reflective surface, the mirror in the living room. Maybe he had on too many mirrors in his apartment when he thought about it. Surely no one had a mirror in their bedroom too; of course that one was attached to the door of his closet. Still the more he thought about it maybe he should lessen the amount of mirrors in his apartment.

“Straight to business, eh Professor?” Erik let out a bark of laughter, “and no I am not an imp. Next question?”

“What are you, Erik? Can you tell me? You look human, but you are not so as you pointed out,” Charles asked. He was sure he could go on with questions on what Erik was throwing out all sorts of odd ideals, but he was getting tired of being stuck in one area.

 “I’m exactly what you think I am, a monster,” Erik replied. Brows furrowing, Charles moved towards the mirror words hanging on his lips about to deny that Erik could be a monster, yet the longer he stayed silent the more he thought maybe monsters weren’t so inhuman looking.

“Do you cause death,” he whispered. Erik looked exhausted as if he’d not even had a moment of rest, and the more that Charles thought on it, Erik hadn’t looked too awake or refreshed.

“I, I can’t tell you Charles at least not here, if I had free reign to pass from this world, I’d be far more free to answer your questions. Do you think you can get me out?” Erik asked. He almost looked like he could be at the end of rope.

“What do you mean? I can free you?” Charles moved even closer to the mirror. It was absurd to think that he should even unleash a creature that was trapped in another world from his. A monster by the man’s own words, but it would be fascinating to look up. It was extremely fascinating to play with the entire idea over having the ability to bridge a gap between two worlds.

“I don’t know, but from all the people I’ve watched, I think you’d be the best,” Erik said. Charles forced himself to remember that he was a Professor of Genetics and he didn’t play with all the mythical hoodoo, though he did have a couple of friends who would be more than willing to give him theories on how to help him with the hypothetical idea of bridging two worlds.

“Is there any way that you can help me? I am sure your kind have a way to bridge the way, maybe you have books?” he asked, he wasn’t about to promise Erik, the self-confessed monster, that he’d help him out, but to be able to hold that information would be an amazing thing. Erik’s face lit up, though Charles had the inkling that maybe Erik was putting more stock in that he would help him than he really planned on.

“If I copy down the notes from those books and show them to you, will you promise to help me es-leave?” Erik stumbled over the last words. Charles was slow to nod, but after he thought on it for a few moments he wondered if it could hurt too much to try, and Erik was only asking about himself, not the whole mirror world. Plus, if the information couldn’t help Erik then no harm done.

“I’ll do my best,” Charles said.

 

~*~

 

If he weren’t the terrifying being that he was, Erik would admit that he felt a little giddy at the prospect of having Charles help him so easily. He thought he would’ve had to string the man along for a little while longer denying him answers to questions here or there, but the Professor had folded easily. Erik stilled, the man had almost folded too easily, but from what Erik could gather from Charles the man was no Shaw and he had more of a chance of being a hopeless giver than a manipulative bastard.

Erik was almost to the books when he felt the air being disturbed behind him. It wasn’t unusual for other people to be in the room a lot of workers took a short cut through it, but whoever was behind him wasn’t moving and he was beginning to feel an itch between his shoulder blades like eyes were boring into him.

“My, my little Erik Lehnsherr, you have been busy. Hasn’t he Emma?” Sebastian Shaw’s voice rang throughout the tiny room.

“Oh, yes he has. Sugar, you didn’t think we were completely oblivious to your little scheme, now did you?” Emma chimed in. Erik’s entire body went cold.

His mind raced what all did they know? Obviously it couldn’t be about the souls or the amount of souls he collected because that would be the standard comment after stating that he’d been a busy boy. No, they were saying that they knew about his scheme, and if they knew about it then did they know about Charles. Erik shook his head, what did it really matter? They were going to set him on the path of never ending soul collecting. Shaw wouldn’t worry about some human; it wasn’t like anyone would believe him.

“Trying to find your own way out, and without using one of the smugglers, you’re quite intelligent Erik. You could never accept that I just wasn’t going to let you go,” Shaw tsked at him. “Of course now you’ve given me something else I have to deal with. You let an intelligent person in on our secret. Most of the time we don’t care really if someone knows, but you had to go farther than that Erik, you had to let someone in who could research us.” Emma sauntered up beside Shaw a frosty smile on her face.

“Of course he wanted someone intelligent. Erik wants to escaped,” Emma purred. Erik clenched his teeth; usually he enjoyed how well Emma played Shaw. It was actually amusing to see the megalomaniac fall to his knees when she was around, but right then he had no idea what Emma would get out of the whole situation. However, if there was one thing Erik knew it was that Emma was getting something out of it. _Calm down, Sugar, and let me handle it_ , Emma’s words pressed against his brain. He hated when she spoke to him telepathically, it almost always felt like icy needles were prodding into his skull. The only time it didn’t feel like she was stabbing his brain was when she was touching him.

“Right you are,” Shaw agreed, “and so whatever are we to do? Obviously this poor chap won’t give his soul over and he would most likely trust Erik. But we all know Erik won’t help us on stealing away his opportunity to escape. So what ever do we do?” Shaw made a show of thinking; he paced a couple times with his fingers pressed to his chin. All while Shaw was making his show, Emma just kept staring at him and Erik just stared back a sneer on his lips. It wasn’t until Shaw whirled back around with a self-satisfied smirk plastered on his face that the staring contest was broken. “So, here’s the deal, my little Erik Lehnsherr, either you convince your human friend to come into our world and in turn you’ll be free to leave our realm, or you stay here with us forever, no trying to escape, and if you stay here you take all the human’s research with you.” Shaw probably thought it would be a no brainer for him and it should’ve.  Except, part of him liked Charles for some reason. The kid had spunk and the mirror realm would suck that from him within seconds.

“We’re going to give you a month to work on your human friend or grow a guilty conscience. Don’t waste it,” Emma broke into his thoughts. She actually broke in on two levels, while she spoke, inside his head she said: _While you’re out you’ll still be connected to our realm which means no one can read you. We don’t know if there are any humans with abilities, but if you run into one like me they won’t be able to read your thoughts. You’ll be of two worlds, but Erik, I suggest you take your one option for escape and you take it now_.

“Now, run along Erik you can’t leave your human waiting,” Shaw made a shooing motion. Erik stumbled back, shocked at the turn of events. He had thought that Shaw would either torture him or put him on the endless regiment, but he supposed if he either came back willingly or wasn’t able to talk Charles into leaving the human realm that would be the very regiment he would be stuck on. “We opened a portal in the room where you first had your conversation with your human, we’ll see you in a month Erik,” Shaw said.  Erik hated to put his back to Shaw almost for fear that the man would attack him no matter what, but as he trudged towards his exit he wondered how he was going to pull it off. It would be easiest to just tell Charles the whole ordeal. “And Erik! Don’t share our little deal with your human, we wouldn’t want him to be the selfless kind and just give himself up for you!” He clenched his eyes shut, and took five deep breaths. Obviously Shaw wanted him to do it the harder way.

 

~*~

 

Charles waited and he waited patiently hoping that his monster would reappear with the notes quickly. The more he thought about the whole idea the more excited about it he got. If he could prove that there was indeed a way to bridge between two different worlds, then he’d probably take the entire world by storm. But a couple hours had past and Erik still wasn’t showing up in any of the mirrors. Charles let out a sigh, maybe it was taking his little monster friend a while to copy all the prevalent information for him. Still the longer he stayed out in the living room, the more agitated Charles felt. Finally, he walked out of the living room only to hear what sounded like a body falling to the floor and a very male grunt. Charles reached for the baseball bat he kept near the television. Gripping it as tightly as he could, he slinked towards the bathroom.

Tentatively, he peeked around the opening to the bathroom only to see a semi-familiar profile and a completely unfamiliar but attractive body. The man was obviously taller than Charles, not that that was a particularly hard thing to manage, but his body was lithe looking. Yet, it wasn’t until the man moved, his legs falling off the toilet and to the floor beside the porcelain and he shifted to his back showing his face did Charles realize who he was staring at. Blue eyes widened almost comically and Charles sucked in a deep breath.

“Erik?” he gasped out, “Erik why aren't you in the mirror? You’re supposed to be in the mirror Erik, that’s where you’re supposed to stay and you were my _fake boyfriend who lived in the mirror_! Why aren’t you in the mirror? What about the whole me helping you… why aren’t you in the mirror, Erik?” He was well aware he was rambling and repeating himself, but after being bothered by a figment of the mirror for the past couple of days knowingly and possibly for weeks unknowingly--well, Charles couldn’t quite grasp how Erik got from the mirror to where he was. Erik wasn’t speaking however he was looking around the room oddly like he was hearing something he wasn’t quite used to. As a last ditch effort, which he would later deny ever doing, Charles sent forward a tendril of thought maybe Erik’s thoughts could tell him why he wasn’t in the mirror. Yet, when his thoughts tried to brush against Erik’s own thought he met with something that felt metallic and maybe a little reflective almost as if he was feeling an echo of his own thoughts. Finally, Erik seemed open his eyes slightly and stare at Charles.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you from this angle,” he muttered. The brunet dropped his bat by the opening before taking a small step forward.

“Erik what is going on?” he asked. He was drawn into gray-green-blue eyes.

“Let’s just say I have a month of vacation,” he grumbled out. Charles looked from side to side shocked by the man who was still sprawled out on his bathroom floor. No, Charles shook his head, Erik was a monster and for some reason monsters were shielded from telepathy. The brunet sighed; he was going to have to figure out if Erik was just there for _vacation_ or not the good old fashioned way.

“Do you at least have clothes?” he asked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik's two days outside the Mirror and the Shenanigans

It took him a half an hour to eventually get Erik settled on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him. There wasn’t even a stitch of clothing that Charles owned that could fit Erik, and after seeing the anaconda that hung between Erik’s legs he knew he couldn’t let the ex-mirror monster just gallivant around in the nude. Erik though seemed more intrigued by his kitchen than keeping the sheet on. And somehow, while Charles was digging deeper in one of the boxes trying to find at least something that was baggy on him or maybe something one of his exes could’ve left, Erik managed to surprise Raven naked. The second Charles heard the shriek; he scrambled out of his bedroom and into the living room where Erik was standing in the middle of his living room naked eating what looked like to be grapes. The sheets were still pooled on the couch after Erik had gotten up to wander around the apartment. Charles flushed red.

“Charles, I wanted to meet your boyfriend, but I didn’t want to get to know him _that_ well,” Raven yelled. She held a hand over her eyes It seemed the shock on his sister only last a little while before she peeked between her fingers as Erik’s rather fantastic body. “But I do have to say you have really, really good taste in men.”

“Raven!” Charles squawked. “Erik! Erik, please put some clothes on! Just go in my bedroom and find something!” he added after Erik arched a brow as if to silently ask what clothes. They had already tried a couple of Charles’ bigger shirts and they hadn’t even tried the pants unless they were shorts and he couldn’t wear any of those because somehow his waist was narrower than Charles’ was, the bastard. The man just sent him an amused smirk before he walked out of the room, as if he owned it.

“So, that’s the engineer. Is he a mutant?” Raven asked. Charles fumbled for an answer, trying to grasp what he should say because what if Erik’s monster nature actually led to him having something akin a mutant power. But before he could even decide whether or not to say yes, a knife flew over their heads and directly to the open hand of one ex-mirror monster. The man gave him a shark smile.

“There’s a box with tape on it, if anything has a chance of fitting me it might be in there,” he said. Charles blinked for a couple moments trying to really think about what Erik had just done.

“Yes, Raven, I do believe Erik is indeed a mutant,” he said. The two siblings locked eyes with each other completely shocked that someone would use their powers so naturally and openly, of course for all Charles knew Erik was used to using his abilities freely in his world. Which that would lead to more things he would have to talk about with the monster man.

“Wow, so telekinesis or what?” She asked. She leaned down to peer around Charles trying to catch site of the new person.

“We haven’t quite discussed it yet, but when we do I’ll let you know,” Charles bit out. He really didn’t want to kick out his sister, but honestly he had a lot of ground rules to set up with Erik especially since Erik was forming some very interesting quirks. “How about this, tomorrow after work we’ll all go out for dinner, and I mean all of us so the group can meet him.” He felt sort of bad for offering Erik up on a platter to Raven’s somewhat crazy friends, but he knew his sister too well.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go but only because I know you’re going to keep to your promise and I really don’t want to know about any more of your sexual activities,” she agreed slowly. Yet before she left, Raven called over her shoulder a good-bye to Erik which a half clothed Erik responded in kind from the bedroom. Charles blinked; wondering how in the hell Erik had found a shirt that would fit him at all, but there was still the manner of clothing his lower body.

“Erik, I think we have a few things to discuss about your arrival and your new apparent flare for nudity. Were you always nude in your world?” he asked. Charles could’ve sworn that at least once Erik had been wearing a shirt or something.

“Apparently my clothes don’t like your world. Or can’t survive in it,” Erik answered around a semi-mouthful of grapes. While the other man was dressing, Charles fought against the urge to stare at the man’s perfect ass or any part of his lower body. “What are your ground rules, Professor?” Charles paused, trying to think of exactly where he needed to start with the ground rules.

“Tomorrow before my classes,” which meant he would actually have to set his alarm clock, “we’re going to buy you some clothes, and don’t leave the apartment without me.” Charles stopped once more and wracked his brain for a few more rules. “I can’t think right now, can you please find pants quickly?” Erik let out a bark of laughter, but he continued on with his search for clothing. It took them another hour before they found shorts that they both agreed on, and even then Erik looked like he had gotten dressed in the dark high and drunk. Charles covered his mouth and tried not to laugh at the man’s unfortunate attire. “We’re definitely buying you some clothes tomorrow. You can’t very well meet my sister’s friends or my friend looking like this.”

“What? they’ll question your taste in men?” Erik snarked.

 

~*~

 

Erik was worse outside of the mirror than he was inside. Charles thought he was at least semi used to the other man’s commentary or teases, but when Erik could follow him from room to room in his atrocious attire, commentating on his entire life whilst still calling him Professor in with that voice, it was a little harder. Charles tried very hard to ignore how very, incredibly attractive Erik was all around. But as much as the man seemed to enjoy teasing he was at least not a picky eater, nor was he too terrible about eating food, however, Erik seemed to delight in using his abilities whenever he could. He also liked to pull Charles’ forks and spoons while he tried to eat his ramen noodles.

“Erik! Really can you not play with my food for me?” Charles asked finally feeling a twinge of exasperation. As much as Erik snarked at him or even used his abilities, which Charles was pretty sure were metallic based, he had enjoyed the other man’s presence. Still as much as he enjoyed Erik being around in the back of his skull he couldn’t help but worry about why out of nowhere Erik was able to cross worlds. Charles had yet to broach any of the questions of Erik’s appearance other than he was on some sort of _vacation_. For all he knew Erik was a very, very dangerous creature. The man had admitted to be a monster without any real hesitation over the matter.

“Do my powers bother you?” Erik asked. There was a steel edge to the question, like he was a half-step away from snapping at anyone who didn’t accept him. Charles settled back in his seat and just looked at Erik.

“Oh, my friend, I am not bothered by you. I have powers of my own. But, you seemed blocked to me,” Charles admitted, “or else I would share with you my own gift.” He couldn’t be quite sure, but Charles thought for a moment Erik looked a little startled.

“You have telepathic abilities?” Erik asked. Charles smiled.

“Why, yes I do. Actually most of the people that my sister is friends with have special abilities,” Charles added. Erik seemed confused as if maybe he didn’t know that his abilities would just be one of the many, so of course he worried that Charles would be bothered by his powers. “Anyway, it’s time to get ready for bed, and unfortunately unless you want to sleep naked you’re going to have to wear- you’re going to sleep naked aren’t you?” He paused to watch as Erik pulled his shirt over his head. Charles sighed he had spent so long trying to get Erik dressed and it only took one mention of maybe preferring to go nude and the man was already stripping.

 “It makes the most sense, Professor,” Erik replied with a grin. Charles rubbed a hand over his face and groaned. Erik was obviously not shy about his body though why should he be when he looked as he did. Charles glanced down at his own figure before letting out another sigh.

“All right, well then here’s the couch I hope you have a nice sleep.” Charles waved his hand towards the said furniture. Erik glanced at the object before he turned his head towards the bedroom, the grin still very much plastered onto his face as he surveyed the area.

“Actually I was thinking I would prefer the bed,” he said. Charles almost choked on his own spit, an embarrassing occurrence that he never wanted to go through ever again, and just stared at Erik. Surely he had to be teasing because as nice was he was Charles was not going to give up his bed to a perfectly healthy man. If Erik was sick maybe then he’d lounge on his couch, but the man was more than healthy and Charles had work in the morning.

“I have work. Morning time. I mean, I have to go to work in the morning,” he tried to explain. Erik just looked at him, and Charles wanted to stomp his foot. There was no way he was going to let Erik off with playing the idiot who didn’t understand what he was saying. From every single conversation he had ever held with Erik, he knew the man was an intelligent being.

“Charles, I don’t bite. At least not until asked.” And with that, Erik merely sauntered in the bedroom leaving Charles the decision as to whether to crawl in bed with a very naked ex-mirror monster or to sleep on the mostly uncomfortable couch. Charles closed his eyes, whispered _what the hell_ to himself and followed the cocky mirror monster into the bedroom.

 

~*~

 

Absolutely nothing happened in bed the entire night, Erik was not a cuddler, nor did he seem to move too much around the bed. Charles went to sleep with Erik facing the window in his apartment and woke up with Erik in the same exact position. For a brief few seconds in Charles’ groggy mind he wondered if he was slightly disappointed that there wasn’t even cuddling, but then his brain kicked into gear and Erik was looking at him only half-way amused.

“Your alarm is going off,” he told him before rolling out of bed. Charles blinked sleepily as Erik started picking up his clothes. Honestly, Charles had started to assume that maybe Erik liked being unclothed, but the moment the thought brushed against his brain he shook his head. Obviously, Erik was a highly intelligent being who understood at least parts of society, and he probably wanted clothing that fitted him. Charles laid there staring as Erik pulled on his clothing almost slightly dazed while his alarm bleated in the background. He eventually rolled onto his back to silence the annoying object before he too pulled on more suitable clothing.

“Erik,” Charles spoke up, clearing his throat as he did, “when we’re out in public you can’t be using your powers too much. Mutants are acknowledged here, but they, they aren’t quite accepted.” The other man stilled, his body becoming quickly rigid as he looked over his shoulder. Charles didn’t shy away from the gaze or the incredulous looks, but he wasn’t about to allow his mirror monster to get carted away by the police and then have them find out that he isn’t supposed to exist. “I mean, unless we go to some mutant friendly places,” he added, internally Charles noted that they probably wouldn’t need to go to mutant friendly shops because Erik didn’t have anything visibly different about him.  Still, if Erik was curious about those places then Charles would be more than happy to oblige him and showing him the whole subculture.

“So, even here, it’s limited,” Erik muttered. Watching as the man’s face began to darken, Charles scrambled internally to try and find something good about it all. There was a movement to try to get more equality for mutants, but it was in the very early stages and there were still quite a few more radical groups floating about.

“It’s getting better! When I was sixteen there were no mutant clubs, nor were there anything really else to help protect mutants from being attacked!” Charles offered up a token of peace. They were still trying to get mutants the same amount of pay and equal opportunity for jobs, but at least a person wasn’t supposed to be allowed to attack someone just because they were a mutant. “Do you wish to go shopping now?” he asked, part of him was afraid Erik would decline out of spite.

"I would rather wear things that actually fit me," Erik said, a smirk curled along his lips.

"I'll take that as a yes." Charles reached for his keys but Erik had already floated the metal to him. "Thank you, Erik."

 

Whilst on the shopping trip, Charles spent many moments looked skyward and muttering under his breath for whoever was listening that he didn’t deserve the punishment he was given. Erik was absolutely gorgeous naked and of course he looked almost drop dead gorgeous in anything else too, but Erik seemed to have an affinity towards anything that clung close to his body, showing off his manly physique. Which in turn, the sales ladies and gentlemen noticed, and they noticed so obviously that Charles didn’t even need a lick of his telepathy to know what the red head in the green sweater dress wanted to do with Erik. The only consolation to the whole ordeal was that Erik seemed uninterested and unaffected by most, if not all, of the advances.

“I’m not wearing a cardigan, Profe-Charles,” Erik informed him while he looked down at the trousers he had been coaxed into by the red head. “Plus its blue, it’d look better on you anyway.” The brunet looked down at the cardigan he had been playing with while Erik had been playing dress up. He didn’t quite need a new cardigan; Raven often told him that there was no need for him to make himself seem any older or even necessary for him to buy another thing to prove the point.

“Think I should buy it?” Charles asked holding it to his chest. He wasn’t so sure, he already had a couple of blue colored shirts. Erik turned towards him assessing the article of clothing more closely, or at least it seemed like he was, before he nodded.

“Yes,” he answered, before waving the green sweater dress girl over again. Charles watched in mild fascination as the girl practically dropped everything to rush over to his side. Sometimes he wished he had the powers that Erik seemed to exude. If he did then he would never have to worry about getting someone to help him find anything in a store ever again. “He needs a changing room, and I need three more of these,” Erik said as he pointed to the turtleneck he was wearing. “Make them dark colors.” If the girl minded being ordered around like a dog she didn’t show it. As Charles stood waiting to be allowed into the dressing rooms, he noticed that Erik seemed to be reluctant to stay in any room too close to a mirror. At least he wouldn’t stay in the room for an extended amount of time, which was maybe the reason why the man who looked more like a manager was following him around with his eyes.

“Erik.” Charles reached forward grabbing at the black material, “I think maybe if you want to continue browsing, you should change back into the clothes you came in with. You’re making the manager nervous that you’ll run off with the clothes on your body.” Erik startled a little, almost as if the thought had never come to him. Charles frowned, surely Erik had noticed that the man was watching him and that it was out of attraction.

“I got rid of those clothes, Charles,” he stated plainly. It wasn’t dignified, but Charles spluttered and gasped at the man before him, eyes widened into shock. Part of him was very curious as to how Erik had gotten rid of the clothing; whilst another part wasn’t so sure he ever wanted to know.

“What do you mean you got rid of them?” Charles asked through clenched teeth. Internally, he was promising himself that he wasn’t going to panic and that he would just take the clothes that Erik was wearing up to the service desk and pay for them up front so that they could continue shopping. It would all be okay, or at least that was Charles’ mantra for the moment.

“You obviously don’t wear them anymore, they smell musty, and I didn’t like wearing them, so they are gone now,” Erik replied. Charles blinked, and then he just openly gaped before blinking so more.

“And what did you do to make them gone?” he asked quietly. Erik looked at him, just staring for a few heartbeats.

“I don’t think you actually want to know the answer to that question, Professor, and I think maybe we should go to _another_ shop.” Once more, Charles found himself gaping at Erik, and he stayed there staring at him up until green sweater dress came up with the dressing room keys and Erik’s extra turtlenecks.

“Actually, darling I believe we are ready to pay for our clothes so if you could just run us up,” Charles spoke quickly, his eyes never leaving Erik. Green sweater dress looked a little shocked by the sudden change of plans, but thankfully she didn’t inquire further as to why Charles was all but pushing Erik forward or why Erik wasn’t changing out of his clothing. She just rang them up, yet as she did Charles heard exactly why the red head wasn’t questioning the sudden rush.

 _If he was my boyfriend and I saw him dressed like that I wouldn’t waste my time trying on any other clothing. I would take him to my car and-_ Charles pulled away from the girl’s thoughts, embarrassment covering his face. He hadn’t even meant to listen in, but sometimes when people projected quite loudly he couldn’t help but hear them. Charles plastered a smile onto his face. “Thanks!” he said as he handed the money over. While he was pretty sure he had to attribute Erik’s willingness to move to how quickly they exited the store, Charles was pretty sure the cashier was thinking something entirely different.

“More clothes shopping, as well as the other necessities?” Erik asked. Letting out a sigh, Charles bobbed his head.

“Yes, of course. We don’t want you having to wander about in the nude because you don’t have clothing.”

 

~*~

 

Charles had dropped him off before his work, with strict orders not to leave home, especially since there were still things they hadn’t gone over. Erik of course played his part by nodding and agreeing that yes he would stay in the apartment like a good boy. Charles had explained to him, while looking slightly suspicious as if he thought Erik might already know all that he did, that he was a new professor at the college and that he would be back after six to pick him up for dinner. Erik nodded in the right spots, but his mind was set on finding what all research Charles had and if he could help it along. Shaw wouldn’t expect him to still try to find a permanent way to get out of the mirror realm. But who would he be if he took Shaw for his word.

It took him a little while to discern between what looked like Charles’ normal work and what was most likely mirror world notes. He started shifting through all the handwritten notes as well at some of the copies from books. Most of the information was on him, his tendency to show up in mirrors, which for Charles seemed to bring into question whether or not all reflective surfaces were fair game, and the fact that it looked like he was standing in just an empty room. There looked to be a couple of times where Charles rambled off on his appearance before scratching it out, but Erik could still see a couple of instances where his smile and eyes were mentioned. He gave a cocky smile to the parchments before leafing through them; so far Charles didn’t have anything of real weight. Yet, Erik continued to sift through the entire pile until he found a rather promising piece. Charles obviously didn’t think too much of his theories on the moving between realms, due to the paper’s appearance, but if anything it was a good start to a foundation of opening the worlds it would be that paper. Erik jotted own all he knew that could help on the corners of the paper before he settled it on top of the stack. Maybe Charles would simply forget what had been on top and maybe he would not notice that Erik had snagged a few of the notes that contained an intriguing amount of details on what _he_ looked like. Because of course research on what the good professor found attractive was also important to Erik's goal. He leafed through a couple more pages and smiled as he read the professor's theories on if Erik had the rest of his body and if it looked human. He tucked himself away on a chair and read more.

 

~*~

 

Charles knew he should be expecting it; it wasn’t like Raven would ever keep her mouth shut, though he had hoped maybe he could break his new _fake_ boyfriend, who no longer lived in a mirror, to Moira himself. Of course he knew the second he got to his office, which he shared with Moira, that that would’ve been way too much to wish for.

“How long Charles?” Moira asked as she set down her own papers. “Because you’ve been acting weird for a while now, and I am starting to think it was because you didn’t want us to figure out you were seeing a guy. Am I not going to approve of him?” She immediately placed her hands on her hips before sending him a glare. Flushing, Charles ducked his head and let out a long sigh. It wouldn’t be, unfortunately, the first time he had gotten odd because he didn’t think Moira or Raven would approve of the man he was seeing, and most of the time he was right. Yet, the more he thought about it, if Erik hadn’t been naked when Raven first arrived she probably would’ve like him and if Moira was in the right mood maybe she and Erik would be able to snark at each other’s viewed failings and become friends over that. Except, Erik wasn’t really his boyfriend, so he really shouldn’t hope that Moira and Raven like him. Instead, Charles mused, he should hope that they hate him so much that whenever Erik left they would cheer and buy him drinks. And he would play the part of the broken hearted sap, while they all patted him on the back and said how much of a worthless man Erik was. Charles was pretty sure Erik wouldn’t mind the charade too much; the man seemed to ooze confidence.

“Well, it’s been a while, but it isn’t that I don’t think you’d like him, I honestly don’t know how you’re going to react to him.” Charles decided to go with mostly the truth. Erik had obviously been bothering him for weeks, even though he hadn’t been completely aware of it. Thus Erik had been mostly the cause of him acting strange and demanding that there was a demon in his mirror. Plus, he honestly had no clue if Moira was going to like Erik, or if was going to be able to play nice with anyone. Charles went pale as he thought about all the things Erik could do it potentially jeopardize with his sister’s friends and above all else his sister. “A-anyway, we’re having dinner tonight, and Erik is coming so if you would like to join us,” Charles told her weakly. Moira just looked at him, silently watching for all his tells, and Charles was so sure she was going to demand to know everything about Erik in just a few seconds. Yet, instead she nodded her head accepting his words, for the moment, before she started leafing through her own papers.

“I’ll go, if only to see the man that the monster penis is attached to, or was Raven exaggerating, like she is often prone to doing?” Moira asked. He couldn’t see her smile, but Charles was sure she was enjoying his discomfort very, very much.

“The fact that you know about that tells me that my sister’s priorities are slightly skewed, could she even tell you what his hair color was?” Charles asked. He felt absolutely mortified at the words that were exiting his mouth, but it was almost like he couldn’t help himself. Moira let out a peel of laughter.

“Actually, no, I asked her the same thing and she said she couldn’t focus on anything but the Lochness monster between the man’s legs. As you can see, I am very curious to know what this man looks like especially if I can describe his genitals in three words or less now due to your sister. Also, she was perturbed that you kicked her out so soon, so you could have sex with your beau.” Moira teased him relentlessly. Charles decided right then and there, that the likelihood of Erik and Moira teaming up on him to tease him was getting to be more of guaranteed outcome.

 

~*~

 

Nervous jitters danced through his body as he tried to keep his late lunch down. Erik was dressed properly, another just letting him believe further that his mirror monster knew more about proper etiquette than what he let on. Yet as Charles led Erik past the tables of normal, probably charming people and towards the one in the way back where the wait staff knew to put them, a lead casing dropped in his stomach. He was going to have to sit through an entire evening of hoping that Erik said the right thing at the right time and that no one brought up any embarrassing stories. Of course one of those hopes was going to get crushed horrifically, and Charles wasn’t too sure which one he was more okay with losing. Turning around he faced Erik and tried to explain to the mirror monster how much of a bad idea it was that they go out in public to meet his family, and that he should be certifiably insane for everything he had done the second after he started talking to the man. Instead of being able to lay all out of his nerves out on the table, Charles heard the shuffling of chairs and the sounds of two pairs of feet.

“Charles! You made it!” Raven called out to him, “Nice to see you again, Erik.” Raven had latched onto his arm almost immediately before pulling him further away from Erik and closer to the group. If it wouldn’t have made a giant scene Charles would’ve wrenched his arm away from his sister and just ran out the door leaving Erik to fend for himself and probably be put in an institution for believing his came from a mirror. Raven’s grip tightened on his arm, almost as if she knew exactly where his head was. Letting out a sigh, he accepted his fate and turned to greet Hank only to see that instead of it being Hank who had followed Raven out, it had been Moira.

“Hello, Moira, I see you couldn’t wait to see him,” Charles greeted almost flippantly, just like he had never tried to run away from the entire group. Raven sent him an unimpressed glare before manhandling him towards the table where Sean was already slathering butter over the complimentary rolls, Alex was glaring like usual, and Armando seemed to be the only one who was acting sane. Wherever Hank had wondered off too, Charles wished he could join the man.

“No, I couldn’t. I’m Moira MacTaggert.” Charles watched in something akin to horror as Moira held her hand out to shake Erik’s. For all he knew Erik would flip a switch and become some sort of surly bastard and just brush Moira off, or he would put on one of his charming, if not slightly terrifying, smile and shake her hand. Which it was exactly what he did the, latter of course, because when he had mused that Moira and Erik would find a common sport in Charles ragging he of course had to be right. Charles could already feel the headache forming.

“Erik Lehnsherr.” Out of the corner of his eye, Charles saw his sister perk up at the last name, and he could imagine her filing it all away for later stalking measures. Charles squeezed his sister’s arm and shook his head before mouthing that she promised. Raven responded with a grimace and a pout, but he knew from just those two moments she wouldn’t search Erik unless she got too suspicious. Of course that would’ve been best if there were nothing to be suspicious about where Erik was concerned. Just as Charles turned his head to speak to his new _boyfriend_ Sean let out a squawk of surprise. Charles blinked for a couple of moments, trying to figure out if Sean was freaking out about Erik’s grin or if he had just found out something about the menu.  With Sean it was honestly hard to tell what would catch the young man’s mind, and half the time Charles wondered if Sean actually did any drugs or if the kid was just like that. Of course like always he could’ve always easily pressed against the red head’s mind, but using his abilities too much especially in the world they lived in wasn’t the best idea to get into the habit of.

A peel of laughter caught Charles’ attention and pulled him away from staring at Sean whilst Alex worked on figuring out what was bothering the young man. Yet, as he turned his head Charles felt as if the figurative metal in his stomach gained a few pounds. Moira and Erik were grinning at each other like a couple of children, and he just knew that they were grinning over something that he wasn’t going to be too terribly fond of. The only problem was that Moira had so much dirt on him that he had no idea what sort of stories she was telling the probably ever eager Erik. Though he hoped it wasn’t about his college days.

“And that is of course how Charles ended up having to dress in drag for an entire week, but he was so fetching in all of the dresses that he was very sought after,” Moira finished the story. Charles sighed; of course it would have to be about his college days. He just couldn’t win with his friends.

“I am sure he looked gorgeous,” Erik replied as he saddled up beside him. The taller wrapped his arms around him, and as he did Charles internally plotted his own revenge on the two. Maybe he would put Erik in drag on day. “Do you have any other stories about Charles, Moira?’ Erik asked. Charles nodded to himself; he was definitely going to get Erik back for dragging up the old stories.

“If Moira doesn’t have any to share, I know I have some,” Raven piped up. Shooting his sister an incredulous look, Charles added her to the list of people he was going to get revenge on.

“I think we all do,” Alex added, “I mean there was the time when he got so drunk he told one of those strippers –”

“Exotic dancers, Alex,” Charles corrected.

“-that he could out dance her and then proceeded to do so by giving _her_ the lap dance,” Alex continued on as if Charles hadn’t said anything. Charles watched Erik’s face closely as the man took in the story. He was so enthralled with keeping his eyes on Erik’s face he completely missed all the secretive glances passed around the table, though he was ready for the exact moment that Erik pulled him closer and pressed a chaste kiss to his temple. That didn’t, however, keep the flush of shock off of his face, but at least everyone took it as embarrassment at PDA in front of his friends.

“Shall we sit?” Charles interrupted their giggling and chuckles. Erik was still at his side and was content to stay there right up until Charles settled onto his seat next to Raven. His sister sent him a comforting smile, and it was right that he realized that while Hank was missing there wasn’t even a chair set out for the lanky man. However, Raven didn’t look too perturbed by the lack of space either. Charles looked around the table trying to see if anyone was noticing the disturbance in their usual set up, but Armando was too busy introducing himself to Erik and Alex was busy feeding Sean all the buttered complimentary rolls while the red head continued to watch Erik. In a strange way, Sean’s attentions made sense because if anyone was going to believe in the mirror world it would be Sean. Leaning close to his monster, Charles pulled on the man’s shirt dragging his attention away from his conversation with Armando, which thankfully did not include his college exploits or his drunken forays.

“Did you ever stalk Sean?” he whispered. Erik actually startled, and Charles was close enough that felt his body go rigid before sinking back into a semi-relaxed state. He wasn’t expecting, however, Erik to start chuckling at him much like he did when Charles had first really spoken to him.

“I don’t think I know which one is Sean, but I haven’t _stalked_ anyone at this table,” Erik answered smoothly. Almost too smoothly, Charles narrowed his eyes at the thought.

“Did you stalk anyone in this restaurant? You were two-timing me weren’t you?” he hissed. Erik’s brows rose upwards at the accusation and at that very second Charles realized that if anyone had been listening to their particular conversation, which most of the people at the table were very prone to do, he was painting a very dark picture of himself and Erik. Luckily it seemed that the only attention they were garnering was a few curious glances before someone was drawn back into the conversation at large.

“Yes Charles I stalked that old woman over there. Her name is Camille, she has a little Schnauzer named Pickles and she misses her son dearly,” Erik deadpanned. For normal people, the comment would’ve made him crack a smile, but the fear deep in the back of Charles’ skull made him wonder if the woman’s name really was Camille. Erik’s face broke into a grin like anyone’s would if they were joking; Charles pushed his worry away as far as he could.

“Erik, would you like to hear a couple of stories from when Charles was younger?” Moira asked, her smile devilish, and Charles let out a loud groan playing along with the whole thing. He was there to allow the people who were basically family embarrass him in front of his boyfriend. Except, Charles reminded himself, Erik was very much not his boyfriend because Erik wasn’t even human and he was an extremely snarky bastard.

“Do go on Moira,” Erik replied, his own smile mirroring hers, though Erik managed to look a lot more terrifying once more and less like a jokester.

“Charles had a bit of an overactive imagination when we were children,” Moira began. Erik slid a look over in Charles direction, humor still coloring his face.

“I see some things haven’t changed,” he teased. Raven, the traitor, let out a bark of laughter.

“That’s for sure,” she agreed. Charles could see that he wasn’t going to win any argument, and so he kept quiet and just pouted obviously. The other three members of the table were just listening to the tale with at least moderate interest.

“Anyway, Charles was so sure that one of his ancestors was haunting his home, that he convinced Raven and me that we needed to help him exorcise the house,” Moira continued. Erik leaned closer to him and whispered into his ear.

“So, exorcisms are still your first go to then?” he asked. He felt heat rise in his face as Moira continued to chuckle through the story of their failed attempts of trying to procure the necessary elements to hold an exorcism, mainly a priest.

“And after he decided he couldn’t sweet talk one of the maids into taking him into town, he decided he was going to ride his bike there. I don’t know if you know this yet Erik but Charles lived in the middle of nowhere, so it’s a long trip in the car to get there from town. I think you made it about a mile before you decided it wasn’t worth it?” Moira asked, turning to Charles.

“It was a mile and a half, and the gardener caught me,” he corrected. Tossing her head back, Moira let out a peel of laughed which the rest of the table joined in with, including Erik. It didn’t help that Erik’s laugh made Charles want to smile if at least a little even with the story being about his embarrassing childhood.

“Oh that’s right! Mr. Grady! He always kept you out of trouble Charles. Like the time you and Raven decided to go swimming in one of the fountains. We were such hellions back then,” Moira mused of the past.

“Which is why we are surrounded by them now,” Charles added looking at the three boys and Raven as he spoke.

“Nu-uh, we totally don’t have the crown on screwy shit pulled that you do, Professor,” Sean spoke up. Alex bobbed his head in agreement.

“We might have accidently set fire to things but you’ve rallied an entire class of freshmen to go streaking!” Alex pointed out. Charles gaped at the two boys, they shouldn’t have known about that story, it wasn’t one of his finer moments as a drunken upperclassmen. Plus he had almost shamelessly used his powers to push some of the less likely ones into doing it.

“I’m getting to like you even more, Professor.” Erik’s voice rumbled in his ear.

“What about you Erik? You have any crazy stories about college?” Raven asked. Charles grabbed at Erik’s bicep before he could answer, if not for the first time the shorter man wished that Erik’s mind wasn’t blocked from his, at least then he could tell the man to go along with it and that he had told his nosey sister that he was an engineer. But Erik just patted the hand that was holding him, the ever present smile on his face.

“I wasn’t a rambunctious student, I was more of the type who sat in the corner and brooded,” Erik answered. The entire table seemed to mull the new information over, and Charles for a moment thought that they were going to accept Erik’s lie for face value until Sean let out another bout of laughter.

“No, you’re probably the drunk who’s mean and sarcastic and told underclassmen to lick your boots or they would have to drink some nasty tasting shit. You’d be the drunken top dog! And I for one am happy that you and Charles didn’t know each other when you were college students because no one would survive that!” Sean accused. Charles stared at Erik’s face, noting that for a split second Erik seemed somewhat taken aback by the outburst before he dipped his head and let out a low laugh. The sound sent Charles’ hair standing on end and a whisper of worry curling around his lungs. What if Erik felt insulted by the entire thing, obviously there was so much about the man that he didn’t really know well. He sucked in a breath and steeled himself to tackle Erik if necessary, his mind tricks wouldn’t be any help to him not with Erik’s blocking.

“You caught me. I am the very person you wouldn’t want to pair up with a drunken Charles, so shall we get started on those drinks?” Erik asked. He didn’t sound like he was angry, but there was a hardness that Charles was beginning to get used to in the man’s eyes.

“Yes of course,” he agreed. Charles waved the waitress over and ordered a couple of drafts of beer for himself and Erik, to a chorus of groans from the members at the table.

“If you two get into trouble, I’m not bailing you out. Instead I am going to enjoy having an office to myself for a day,” Moira warned. Erik leaned away from Charles and towards Moira.

“But you’d get me out wouldn’t you?” he asked. Moira tipped her head back, showing off the long line of her neck as she chortled.

“Of course, I am going to forsake my best friend and bail out his significant other instead,” she agreed.

“You're a good woman,” Erik said, he leaned back in his chair and wrapped an arm around Charles’ shoulders. The action was very, extremely, unsettlingly boyfriend like, and Charles wondered if in his own world Erik ever had a relationship or even if that sort of thing was acceptable. He gnawed on his bottom lip, his mind whirling through ideas about the mirror world and maybe how Erik could so seamlessly fit into his group of friends and his life. The entire time he had been trying to help integrate Erik into at least comfortable, he’d never once had to explain nuances or really have to integrate Erik much. The only thing he’d really had to psych himself up for was getting use to another person being in his apartment, and not for a mess. Erik was clean and kept to himself seemingly.

“You are not allowed to suck up to my boyfriend Moira, get your own!” Charles teased, breaking out of his more troubling thoughts.

“Ah, Charles can you blame her? I mean look at him!” Raven jumped in.

“Hey now,” Armando broke into the conversation, “we are sitting right here.” Charles snorted at the other man pointed to himself as well as Alex and Sean. As much as he enjoyed Raven’s friends and their company, he would have to side with Raven on Erik being the most attractive male at the table.

“All of you stop it, he has a big enough head already,” Charles joked, jabbing Erik lightly in the ribs. They were all interrupted by the waitress sidling up next to them and passing out the ordered drinks. Once everything was in front of the right person, for a moment or two they had to switch around a few drinks, the waitress pulled out a pad and a pencil.

“Are you ready to order?” she asked. Charles felt a moment of pure terror as he wondered if Erik even really ate. He couldn’t remember if he had ever seen the other man put anything past his lips and eat. Yet, as he internally worried what he would have to say if Erik ordered something strange, the very object of his worry merely ordered a rare steak with a vicious smile plastered across his face.

“Charles, tell your boyfriend to stop scaring the children,” Raven jokingly snapped. Charles blinked back into awareness to see that Sean was squirming in his seat and Alex was finding his silverware far more interesting than normal. Like usual Armando was taking everything with stride and was merely ordering some new special and Moira was no help as she covered her mouth with her hand. Shaking his head, he looked down at the menu trying to figure out if he wanted his usual or something different. Sean made some strange noise that was half-way towards one of his screams and a whimper. Charles sighed.

“Stop scaring people, Darling,” he told his monster. “And I’ll have the chicken cobb salad.”

Dinner went along the same vein the rest of the way. Raven or one someone else would poke and prod at Erik trying to get more information from him and he would end up preforming above and beyond Charles’ expectations in answering any questions they had. Then Erik would somehow do something that would jar Charles into the thoughts that while he really wasn’t in a relationship with Erik, he barely even really knew the man, he was almost aching for it all to be real. Eventually, his thoughts on the fact that he should probably get a _real boyfriend_ after the whole charade was over flashed in his mind, whilst the entire table was completely oblivious to his dilemma. They were far too busy enjoying Erik’s presence far more than they had ever enjoyed any of his previous boyfriends’. Even between the moments Charles was certain Erik was about to scare Sean and Alex into wetting themselves, he could tell that the two boys were just as enamored with the monster metalbender as anyone else. Explaining their break-up was going to be a rather difficult job, Charles sighed.

“It was good to meet  you,” Erik ended the conversation, whilst Charles just blinked unsure of how much of the conversation he missed and how long he had been trapped in his own mind, in his thoughts. He couldn’t gleam any information from his monster, but everyone else’s surface thoughts were more than fair game. Charles tried to delicately extract whatever the conversations had been, but no one was projecting actually loud enough for him to just pick up the pieces. With a sigh, he decided he would just have to wait until he got back to his apartment with Erik and ask him about the conversations he missed out on.

“It was nice to meet you too, even though I am going to have to convince Sean that you’re not going to hide under his bed with a knife now,” Alex replied holding out his hand. Charles once more found himself blinking at the turn of events, apparently at some point Erik had made a very good connection with Alex, if not Sean too just by association. “Darwin, come on.” Alex strolled off with the two boys at his sides. Charles smiled at their retreating backs, but as he did another worry that wasn’t including Erik twisted through his mind. They had been missing on important person.

“Raven, where was Hank this evening?” he asked, and yet the second he did Charles knew it was the exact wrong thing to ask. He watched as his sister’s face crumpled and she looked away from him, unable to even glance at his eyes. Immediately he left Erik to Moira’s questions and conversation to wrap an arm around his distraught sister.

“What’s wrong,” Charles murmured wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Raven shook her head, her lips trembling ever so slightly as she casted her gaze away from him.

“It’s nothing; I’m just getting sick and tired of being second to his experiments. I love the guy, I really do but sometimes I want him to look at the time and think maybe he should spend a little less time in the lab and a little more time in our apartment. But that is asking far too much I’m starting to understand,” she told. Her voice was low and quiet, so that no one else but him could hear her speak. There were times when Charles often wondered why Raven was so reluctant to speak to him mentally, but maybe it just felt better to talk to him and letting it out in the open. Gently, he pushed a blonde lock behind her ear and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Hank doesn’t know what he’s missing,” he told her, “but maybe you should sit him down and talk about it?” Internally Charles winced that the confusion he was sure the young man was going to feel at the entire discussion. He knew the boy quite well after having him as a student once, and of course he somewhat understood that Hank was almost cut from the same cloth as himself, the workaholic cloth.

“Oh, he’s going to get a discussion,” Raven promised. Luckily she didn’t glance at her brother’s face before she untangled herself from his grip, or else she would’ve seen that the internal wince became quite external.

“All right then. I’ll see you later,” Charles said, he moved backwards in hopes that Raven was too preoccupied by her thoughts to notice how exactly her brother was looking at her. Luckily for him, Erik was still quick on the draw and intercepted him half way through his skulking backwards. Still, Charles nearly jumped from his skin when his monster pressed his lips to his ear and whispered.

“Ready to go back to your place?” The words rolled down his spine, and Charles felt his face heat up. He knew Erik really isn’t propositioning him, or at least he was pretty sure that his monster just wanted to go back to the one place where his clothes were at, and where there is a bed he can claim. Charles sighed, slightly irritated with the way he had been reacting to Erik all night, he let the man steer him ways that he had never really let anyone do.

“Yes, that would be for the best,” he agreed. Erik looked pleased, but he also looked wary as if he wanted back into the safety of Charles’ apartment yet was still worried that could await him. Another thought struck Charles hard, if Erik could move through his bathroom mirror than could any of the rest of the monsters do the same? The question was hot on Charles’ tongue, but Moira and Raven were still too close and would wonder why he was still going on about something that he had used to cover up his _dating_ of Erik. Reaching out, Charles gripped Erik’s arm hard. “I think we should go right now. It was nice having dinner with you all, again. Love you both,” Charles let the words tumble from his lips as he basically dragged his mirror monster towards his car. Erik, thankfully, followed him without fighting.

“Jeeze, he really wants to get laid.” Charles heard Raven comment towards Moira, and he was pretty sure he heard a noise of agreement from his oldest friend but he was too worried about other monsters. Once in the car, he turned towards the other man, chest heaving and Erik was just watching him with intent eyes. Good, he knew something was up, Charles acknowledged.

“You don’t like mirrors,” Charles said. Glancing away from the man, he put the car into drive. Erik was silent for a few moments, but somehow even without his telepathic abilities; Charles knew he was going to speak.

“No, I don’t,” Erik answered plainly.

“Any particular reason why?” he asked. The other man snorted from his position in the passenger seat, and Charles had to admit there was a very obvious reason as to why Erik wouldn’t like mirrors. However, he also know that Erik was no idiot and probably knew what he was asking.

“You never know who could be watching.” Erik’s answer was obvious and Charles felt a slight flare of irritation rise in his skin. “Plus, I’m not ready to go back.” The new information abated the irritation, if only slightly. Maybe Erik was the only special one and due to his _vacation_ it meant that he could leave out of any mirror.

“So any mirror is fair game to you?” he asked. Out of his peripheral he saw Erik shrug.

“I don’t know but I don’t want to go back prematurely,” the other man snapped. Charles almost felt giddy at the prospect of testing theories especially with the mirror world.

“Oh, you don’t have to go back. We’ll just see if can pass through the other mirrors in the house before trying to see if you can go through my bathroom mirror. We’ll only need a hand.”

“What?” Erik sounded completely and utterly confused, but Charles could handle that. He was used to people not quite understanding what he wanted or what he was saying. He was a teacher; it was almost the norm for there to be confusion when he spoke.

“Tonight, when we get back to my place we are going to run some experiments. Just to get some baseline of what is normal and what is strange,” Charles said. Erik just stared at him, but he didn’t say no. “Honestly, Erik what are you so worried about?” Charles asked. Erik looked almost stricken, as if Charles was threatening to do something horrible to him. “I’m not going to push you into the mirror world,” Charles eventually teased. He wasn’t sure what exactly was getting Erik worked up, but something was prodding at the other man. Still, Erik kept silent in the passenger, his eyes getting dark and dark with something Charles couldn’t quite place.

Erik kept quiet the rest of the trip, and for a few moments Charles cursed that he couldn’t just take a quick look at the man’s head. The fact that he probably relied too heavily on his abilities when it came to interacting with people, was not lost on Charles, but he was never so lost than what he felt with Erik just sitting in the car and changing between looking at him with such intent and veering his eyes away from him. He itched to ask his monster what was so offensive about what he had said, but he refrained because deeper conversation with a metalbender in a car would be very unwise. Yet, once they’d both managed to wander into his apartment, the questions were itching at Charles’ tongue and buzzing in his ears. He slowly moved towards his monster only to watch in slight fascination as Erik stalked forward and pressed his hand against the mirror in the living room. His hand didn’t sink into the mirror nor did it do anything abnormal, instead the man’s long fingers stretched out along the surface much like Charles’ would.

“Well, I guess that helps conclude that you can’t just fall into a mirror now,” Charles spoke up, finding his voice.

“Still have to think about who is watching,” Erik replied. Whatever good mood his monster had been in, Charles knew he had probably ruined it with his curiosity. He honestly felt a little bad about pushing at Erik, though he hadn’t thought he’d done it too much. Walking up behind his monster, Charles peered at the mirror almost expecting another face to peer at him and Erik. Yet, all he saw was his own appearance as well as Erik’s staring back at him. Seeing Erik staring back at him in the mirror wasn’t exactly new but feeling the warmth of Erik’s body next to his was something very, very different. Right then, despite the entire time he had spent thinking about how odd it was that that a monster was in his home, it settled in his bones the idea that a mirror monster was in his home for a month. He sent a sidelong glance towards the man only to find he too had changed the direction of his gaze also. Their eyes locked, and if only for a moment Charles played with idea of the mirror world and creating a bridge so that he could maybe see the world that Erik came from, yet he would never walk through into the mirror world unless he knew for sure that he could leave.

“I have to go look at something, Erik,” Charles murmured. Slowly, he stepped away from the warm body and started heading towards his desk.

 

He watched as the Professor headed towards the very desk he had been looking over earlier, and he saw the exact moment that Charles found his notations. The blue eyed man shot him a look which Erik took as a mix between thankfulness and curiosity. He wasn’t quite sure if the professor was going to follow his carefully plotted out path, but he was fairly certain that he didn’t have to worry too much because the good Professor would eventually end up with the correct notes. Erik glanced back at the mirror only to see a flicker of Emma as she passed by the surface.

“Make your choice quickly Erik, either return here or start working on getting that man over to us,” she whispered. Glancing over his shoulder, Erik tried to see if Charles noticed anything, but the man was far too busy with the notes he had left. He opened his mouth to ask Emma what her angle was, but he knew better. Unlike Shaw, Erik could see that Emma was far too cunning and far too intelligent to be under Shaw’s thumb forever.

“Can we talk about this later, Emma?” Erik nearly pleaded. The blonde woman stepped further into the mirror, and Erik startled at the image she gave off. It was odd being on the other side of the mirror.

“Oh, I would love to, Sugar, but it’s not that easy to slip away undetected as you’ve found out,” Emma snapped. “Now, I gave you the chance to either get out forever, or have some fun before things get messy here because I like you Erik and I don’t want you in here if all you’re thinking about is escaping into the human realm.” The question as to why Emma was really giving him the chance hung on his lips, but Erik knew there was a time and a place for those particular questions. Plus, he’d be more likely to get Emma in trouble if he tried to get her to spill all her secrets.

“I’ll see you when you decide I’m moving to slow again?” Erik asked. Emma sent him a wide smile, as if he were a good puppy who finally understood a trick.

“You’re quick to catch on, Sugar. Don’t get too comfortable with your boy toy, you need to keep your head on what you want,” she warned. She disappeared much like Erik imagined he had done to Charles.

“W-were you talking to someone? Someone else hangs out in my mirrors?” Charles asked. Erik heard him shuffle behind him before he then felt the younger man’s presence as well as his metal draw nearer. Charles could’ve easily told him get out of the way, yet instead the telepath just pressed closer to him as if the thought of telling him to move hadn’t even crossed his mind.

“No, well, yes I was holding a conversation, but other monsters don’t frequent your mirror. They just wanted to know if I was enjoying my vacation,” Erik lied. He didn’t look at Charles, and he was actually quite happy that the telepath couldn’t read his mind. Somehow he could still tell that Charles didn’t quite believe him.

“Of course, because I was under the impression you monster kind liked to greet each other and weren’t the type to threaten. I mean why else would you be wary of mirrors,” Charles said with a drawl. He was still very much pressed close to Erik, reminding the monster metalbender of the fact that his human telepath was very, very real.

“Right, you’ve hit the nail on the head, Professor,” he replied. Charles’ let out a huff of breath.

“Fine, fine, keep your secret for now, _my monster_ , but you’re going to help me figure this message you left for me,” Charles said as he tapped him on the shoulder. Erik wasn’t sure why the Professor kept blowing hot and cold at him, but he did and it was leaving Erik in a mess of thoughts. At times he could see Charles as a perfect monster, dragging souls away from people, but then he’d actually take a moment to think about Charles with his family and with how he had treated him when he had appeared out of the mirror and realize that Charles was too kind to be a monster.

“Of course,” he agreed. Charles sent him a smile that he would categorize as thankful.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dedicate this chapter to my wifey, ChasingtheMuse, for all her support of me and for every single time she told me to just do it because I was a fabulous lady. Also thanks to my other friends on Tumblr you know who you are you lovely ladies!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where things get sweet and yet things get complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who helped me with this story, and those of you from tumblr who get to hear me spazz out about my writing.

Erik lounged beside him like he was some big cat, and Charles had to stop noticing how fantastic Erik’s legs were or how attractive he looked all sprawled out like he didn’t have a care in the world. Instead he was trying to keep his mind firmly on the books and stories in front of him, and sometimes he would let his eyes wander if only to ask his mirror monster another question involving the mirror world. It was rather frustrating for Charles whenever Erik would use vague explanations before giving a glance towards the mirror. He had the inkling that maybe, Erik wasn’t supposed to divulge any information and maybe the checking on his vacation had been a warning to knock it off. Charles huffed as he tried to stomp down any worry or knee-jerk reactions towards helping out a man. Erik was not one of his students, nor was he one of Raven’s friends who needed a slight nudge in the right direction. He couldn’t just stop his life to help save Erik from whatever he was running from because Charles knew very well the Erik was a grown man.

“All right, Professor?” Erik asked, looking over at Charles contentedly. He seemed rather relaxed minus his random paranoid spurts of looking at the mirror. The telepath shook his head, trying to dislodge the thoughts that he should take care of Erik or protect him from the mirror monsters.

“I’m fine, Erik. Though could I inquire as to what your world is like and how horrible it is that you want to run away from it?” he asked. Erik bristled almost immediately, his once calm disappearing along with any relaxing lines he had once had. Charles wasn’t sure what he expected Erik to react with either a snarl or a command that he had no right to even ask the question. Yet instead of all the violent and snappish comments that Charles could imagine, Erik just settled back bearing his teeth slightly before he got up and tossed a jacket over the living room mirror. Charles watched the movement mixed between the two emotions of fascinated and slightly fearful that Erik was going to start destroying all his mirrors. Though in the long run, he was starting to think maybe getting rid of all his mirrors would be a fantastic idea. However, he probably wouldn’t go after the bathroom, one because his landlord would probably hate him if he destroyed the bathroom and two, Erik need the bathroom mirror to leave.

“Do you really want to know, Professor, or were you just making conversation?” Erik asked, his voice was tipping down dangerously low as he spoke, and Charles feared for a moment that if he did say the one wrong thing that his dear friend would end up gutting him with one of his many kitchen knives. Though he wasn’t quite sure why he had so many kitchen knives especially when he never really cooked, Charles shook his head trying to focus on Erik and the man’s dark glare. Once again, Charles lamented on his lack of telepathy. It would be incredibly helpful to know if he was going to get skewered if said something one way or another. Still, it would probably be best not to back down when Erik seemed to feral and angry.

“Yes, I want to know all that you can tell me,” he replied softly. Erik kept a sneer on his face, but he seemed to prefer the answer Charles gave him if only by the fact that Charles didn’t have any sharp metal implements jutting out of him. 

“In my world, I can’t do this.” Erik held out his hand and like some sort of horrible twist of fate and humor, one of Charles’ largest kitchen knives floated down onto his hand. The telepath sucked in a breath and held it for a few moments, there was no way he was going to ask Erik any incredibly personal questions right then. “My powers are muted, and I am treated no better than a slave. So, yes, I do wish to leave my world Charles.” Pain laced through Erik’s words, and Charles couldn’t help but feel for Erik. Just not being able to feel Erik’s mind was upsetting him, but not to be able to actually use his abilities at all it would’ve made him feel like he lost part of himself. Charles steeled himself internally, an interesting notion around a metalbender, and decided that he was going to help Erik gain his freedom from the mirror world no matter what.

“Just, Erik, I have to know, why me?” Charles asked. Erik’s hackles were obviously still raised, and he kept his eyes hard as he looked at the telepath. He winced realizing that he had probably asked something extremely touchy and he would soon be a pin cushion. Yet instead of stabbing him half a dozen times, Erik sent the knife back the way it had come and looked something akin to sheepish.

“Out of everyone, you were the most interesting Xavier.” Erik’s answer could’ve been satisfying, if Charles didn’t feel like there could be more. He was sure there were more than enough people who had the capability to be interesting enough to intrigue a mirror monster, and he couldn’t be the _only_ interesting being that caught Erik’s eye.

“Well, I’m honored, Erik,” Charles said softly. Erik, however, seemed to feel a little uneasy by his words as well. They seemed to be on the same level then. Charles tentatively reached forward, brushing his fingers over Erik’s own shoulders. “I am, Erik, I am sure you thought more about it than you are letting on, but it’s getting late and we should probably retire to bed, of course unless you’re okay with the couch.” The last comment seemed to do the trick, Erik’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but there was still darkness in his eyes yet Charles wasn’t worried that he’d be split open from groin to neck anymore.

“I am never going to sleep on that couch, Charles,” Erik told him. Just like that, the mood was broken. Charles smiled at the retreating figure of his mirror monster fondly. Erik definitely had a personality that he admired, though found himself caught between looking forward to sleeping next Erik and dreading it. Still it didn’t stop him from following the metalbender into room, nor did the previous brush of personalities keep him from appreciating the sight that was given to him via his mirror monster. They had done quite well picking out Erik’s pajamas, which put a hole in Raven’s whole ideal that he had no fashion sense and couldn’t dress himself out of a bag. Charles shoved the thoughts away; it would be a little too embarrassing to get into bed with Erik sporting something a little extra. “Are you going to sleep in your day clothes, Professor?” Erik asked. Heat rose in Charles’ cheeks but he shrugged off the embarrassment and instead focused on getting dressed while Erik watched him unabashedly change clothes.

“Do you mind?” Charles asked. Erik let out a snort.

“Well, I would prefer if you changed a little _slower_ , but I am tired, Professor, so no extracurricular activity tonight,” he teased. If Charles wasn’t so used to college students and people’s normal thoughts he probably would’ve felt a little mortified by Erik’s nonchalant activity, however, he was more curious as to whether or not Erik was like that to people in his world or if he was special in that way as well.

 

~*~

 

Something that Charles noticed while sleeping next to Erik was that the man was extremely tense even when completely unconscious. He also slept like he was stuck on a very narrow board. It was quite odd to sleep next to such a still person, especially if they managed to keep their body as tight as an awake person. Charles sleepily watched as Erik barely shifted in the bed, except for a when he would utter a couple of soft cries. His heart went out to Erik with every noise he made, but there was quite a bit of him worried that if he woke up his mirror monster he would pay for it. Yet, as Erik let out another pitiful cry, Charles couldn’t stop himself from surging forward and gripping the lean man’s shoulders.

Erik’s eyes snapped open immediately and with his awakening the metal in the room jolted in reaction. A shot of adrenaline moved through Charles’ body as his bed shook violently, but before he could jerk back away from Erik’s wild eyes, the taller gripped his bicep tightly and held him in place. Charles let out a squeak as Erik tightened his grip on him.

“Erik, it’s me, you’re in my bed, and you’re safe!” Charles pleaded with the wild eyed man. The auburn haired man looked around frantically, his chest was heaving with every breath he took. “Just calm yourself, calm your mind.” With as little movement as he could, Charles reached up and brushed a few stray locks of hair off of the metal bender’s forehead. The wild look in Erik’s eyes was starting to abate. “That’s right, just calm down.” Charles leaned his head down, touching their foreheads together while their breaths skated across each other’s lips. Sometime during the moments of panic, Erik had pulled Charles on top of him.

“You’re on top of me,” Erik said, he looked a little stunned if Charles was honest with himself.

“That’s very astute of you, Erik.” Charles drawled out. Somehow laying atop a very attractive mirror monster was just that thing he needed to get any of his confidence back, or maybe it was just the adrenaline still pumping through his veins. Charles would probably blame his next action on the lack of sleep and the excitement, but as he leaned down and brushed his lips against Erik’s, he really didn’t give a damn.

Erik gasped against his mouth, and Charles took the initiative to deepen the kiss. It was probably one of his worst ideas; he didn’t even know the whole story behind why Erik was with him or even if the man was attracted to him. Though the feel of the hardness besides his thigh, was enough indication for Charles that maybe Erik wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of kissing him. Erik’s hand finally released his bicep to clutch at his hair, pulling Charles closer to his body whilst intertwining their legs. Charles’ reassessed his worries; obviously Erik was more than okay with making out with him in the bed and putting his hands all over him. Pushing forward a little more recklessly, Charles licked Erik’s mouth open as his hands dragged up the mirror monsters sides. The movement pulled a groan from not only Erik’s mouth but also Charles’ as he rubbed against his lean, beautiful monster. Erik threw his head back, dislodging Charles’ lips from his own but revealing his long neck. Grinning must like a mad man, Charles attached himself to the pale skin, biting and sucking as he did. A giddy thrill shot through his body, at the thought of marking Erik up. But Erik seemed to have other ideas, he pulled at Charles’ hair just enough so that he was then bearing his neck to the grinning mirror monster.

Without any hesitation, Erik latched onto his neck and vigorously marked him. Moira and the others would have words from him in the morning, but thoughts of his friends and family were not exactly welcome especially when Erik shoved a hand down his pants. Charles gasped against Erik’s shoulder, once his hand wrapped around him. He bucked against the tight grip, spouting gibberish against flesh until he was completely and utterly undone. Panting like he had run the race, Charles nuzzled Erik under his jaw.

“I suppose I should return the favor,” he whispered. Sleep was starting to set in, pulling him deeper into a comfortable dream. Erik’s laugh drew him away from the sleep realm momentarily.

“That won’t be necessary, Professor,” he replied, his deep voice sending vibrations through Charles’ body. The telepath didn’t care much that they would probably regret not washing off, but he was much too tired to be worried.

 

~*~

 

The next morning, however, Charles cared very, very, very much that his neck as marked up by two large hickies on the side of his neck. Moira was going to give him hell and then she was going to tell Raven who would also give him hell, but she would probably also either congratulate Erik or whine about jealous men. Though, he mused while rubbing one of the marks, he probably wouldn’t mind too much if Erik did get a little jealous. If Charles was honest with himself, which he usually was, he got a little jealous at times as well, so it would be at least semi welcome company. Charles rubbed at his neck again, securing his scarf tighter as he walked into his office. Though really he shouldn’t have tried to even hide it, Moira was looking at him like the cat that got the canary.

“So, he’s one of those boys? The ones that take you home and make sure _everyone_ knows you’re his?” Moira teased, “If I hadn’t already liked him before I would say he is an ass.” Charles spluttered, flailing only a little. He felt a little irritated that it was automatically assumed that Erik was the only one to leave marks, he actually was quite fond of the marks he had left in return. Actually he was quite proud of the entire picture he had left behind before going to work. Erik had been sprawled on the bed and completely relaxed, a nice juxtaposition from Erik’s usual stiff sleeping habits.

“Hey, I got a few licks in too,” Charles protested. Moira chortled her hands gripping at her sides.

“Oh, I am sure you did Charles, I’m sure you did. Anyway, you have a message left for you from Hank, he was freaked out that Raven is going to leave him or something. Anyway, you might want to call your future brother-in-law and tell him to cool his jets,” Moira told him. Charles sighed, he hated getting in the middle of Raven and Hank’s relationship, but it seemed like that was exactly where they wanted him at times. He was their peacemaker and both of their confidants.

“Of course, he did. I don’t know why he always looks to me, but I supposed I’ve let it go this long to end it now,” Charles said with a sigh. Moira nodded in agreement, but she held her tongue. They’d had the conversation about Charles’ role as mediator many times before, and had already reached to the conclusion that Moira didn’t approve and Charles was too worried to completely disengage himself from their problems.

“Did Erik stay the night again?” she asked, changing the subject. Charles smiled, grateful for the new topic.

“He’s my boyfriend, what do you think?” he asked.

 

~*~

 

Charles was gone when he woke up, so Erik was left to stumble around the apartment bleary before he jumped into the shower. He hadn’t planned on anything of the sort to happen, actually that made his decision a lot harder, and if Emma found out she’d have a few words for him about his _human pet_. Sliding his eyes over towards the still covered mirror, Erik felt the rising need to get out of the house and away from all the mirrors. Emma knew how to contact him in the apartment, but Charles had said he would prefer if he stayed inside the house unless accompanied. Erik stilled immediately, he wasn’t someone’s pet that could be ordered around. Snarling at nothing, Erik pulled on his clothes determined to spend some time in the city he had been forbidden from being in alone.

The city was a little different when he was alone and not in a car. It wasn’t drastically different, but there was enough of a strangeness that Erik felt a little out of place. People ignored him like they did in his world, but they were far more alive than the usual drones who just kept their heads down, or even the flinched at the thought of hitting another monster. Powers might’ve been muted, but tempers were high in his world. However, the humans didn’t run into him either, but they seemed like if they did the most he would receive would be a brisk _sorry_ or _watch where you’re going_. It was peculiar.

Yet, despite any of the strangeness, Erik found himself enjoying his outing until he noticed a little odd occurrence whenever he walked beside something reflective he would notice that there was something distorted about his appearance. After four and a half blocks of the oddity, Erik slid into one of the buildings, intent upon finding a corner where he could at least deal with whatever was going on. He soon found himself staring at a rather flushed Emma; something he never thought would ever happen. If only a for a few seconds she looked worried.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention all morning, Erik,” she hissed, “Now just act calm.” Her words were his only warning before Emma was replaced with a gloating Shaw.

“Erik, Erik, Erik, you are quite the busy boy, and it looks like you’re having fun while you’re away,” Shaw said. He made a motion with his hand in the direction of Erik’s upper body and for the first time, Erik remembered that he hadn’t be the only one to leave proof of their actions last night. He would’ve probably been blushing quite vividly, but he remembered Emma’s words and all that her words actually included. Shaw wasn’t going to show him up.

“I might as well have some fun while I’m here,” he replied. Shaw let out an amused chuckle.

“You were always one of the most dangerous ones Erik, always trying to find a way to _manipulate_ things,” Shaw said. The metalbender stilled his breath catching in his chest as he did, Shaw wasn’t always the type to just say something he didn’t mean, and there was always a reason. “Don’t spend too much time on pleasure, Erik, or I might just have to drag you back kicking and screaming.” The words sent a chill through Erik’s body as the thoughts raced through his mind clouding everything. Not for the first time, Erik was thankful that his mind was completely shielded from all telepaths in the area because he was sure that Charles would’ve been able to hear his distress and Emma would’ve have been able to keep a straight face.

“Am I getting a shorter sentence, then?” Erik asked. He just barely kept himself from snapping at his king.  Shaw steepled his fingers a smile curling over his lips, all Erik wanted to do was to twist the mirror in on itself, but he reminded himself of Emma’s warning.

“No, but I don’t expect you to need a whole month, you’re quite devious Erik, work harder,” Shaw demanded. He didn’t allow for Erik to reply, instead he disappeared from the mirror leaving Emma and Erik to stare at one another.

“Next time you want to screw your human pet, do it somewhere where there are no mirrors in listening distance, Erik! But, he’s right you have to make your decision, either way you’re going to lose him,” Emma reminded him.

 

~*~

 

Opening the door, Charles felt almost giddy that he would have someone to tell about work and who would probably at least listen as if they were semi interested what he was saying. Of course he was sure with Erik he’d have to field a few sarcastic comments towards his work buddies and what he did, but it would be worth it. It was kind of odd how quickly he’d acclimated to Erik’s presence to the point he looked forward to seeing the mirror monster lounging on his couch. Charles opened his mouth to call out to his house guest when his mind pinged back that there wasn’t a shielded mind in the vicinity. Worry shot through Charles’ chest. Erik was gone.

He had a phone in his hand before he knew it, half way through scrolling down to Raven’s number in a fit of fear. Yet, he stilled, he couldn’t call Raven because she wouldn’t know why he was so worried that Erik was missing and he couldn’t exactly tell her what Erik was and about the mirror world. He was stuck in his apartment worried about Erik, and it wasn’t like he could try to search out the metalbenders mind, that would mean searching the city and there were strict laws on that particular front. Charles rubbed a hand over his mouth.

His mind was rushing through every single possibility of what could happen to his mirror monster. Between being arrested for showing his abilities or getting arrested for fighting someone Charles was afflicted with images of Erik being carted off by the government to try to find out who he was. Apprehension rose the longer, Charles paced in his apartment picturing all the things that could go wrong and probably would. He was so wrapped up in his own mind, that when his front door clicked open he nearly jumped from his skin. The only person to have a key to his home was Raven and she couldn’t see him so worried or else she’d expect the worse. Turning around and trying to school his features, Charles almost embarrassed himself completely by rushing towards Erik and wrapping his arms around the taller man’s waist, but he stopped just a few inches in front of Erik. He quickly morphed his face from complete relief to anger.

“You left! And I told you not to leave by yourself!” Charles complained. Erik didn’t seem to really care because the next thing Charles knew was that Erik was wrapping his arms around him and pressing a kiss to his temple. To say that Charles was confused by the whole ordeal wouldn’t be an understatement. It wasn’t the first time or even the second that Charles wished he could look into Erik’s mind.

"I'm back now."

 

~*~

 

The next couple of days had been strange for Charles, after his freak out about Erik disappearing on him he’d expected to go somewhat back to normal, maybe with a few cuddles in the mix. However, Erik wouldn’t even touch him not in the apartment and especially not in bed. The mirror demon had taken to staying out on the couch until Charles had fallen asleep and then crawling in bed. It felt like a break up, except that they had never really dated and they had only gotten together once. Charles could deal with Erik going cold on him, he was sure he could, but the even stranger thing was that Erik wouldn’t even help him on the mirror theories. He would pose the questions and Erik would cut them down with a look. It was getting frustrating, even just trying to have a conversation with Erik. All he wanted to do was just save Erik from the mirror world and Erik was making that more and more difficult.

“Erik, will you stop messing with my utensils and sit down!” Charles snapped. The anger had been building, he knew that and he was sure even Erik could see it. Erik stilled the metal in midair and held it there was sending a glare Charles’ way. Charles knew he should’ve expected some sort of blow up but Erik sending one of the knives through his living room mirror and probably three inches into the wall wasn’t something he had prepared himself for. Charles let out a growl mixed with a scream and stomped his foot so hard that it felt almost as if he jarred the bone. “Honestly? If you’re going to throw a tantrum please refrain from destroying my home! Plus, what are you getting upset all I asked you to do was sit down!” Charles shouted. Once upon a time he had promised himself that he was never going to be one of those people who annoyed the neighbors because he was fighting with his lover. Obviously, that particular notion wasn’t going to work with Erik acting like an ass.

“I didn’t-,” Erik stopped himself from finishing his sentence and just threw up his hands as if he were giving up. “You know what fine, I am throwing a tantrum. Happy now?” he asked. Charles rolled his eyes a sneer placed on his face.

“Oh, yes I am so happy that you decided to do stab my walls. What are you four? Because you’ve been acting like a child! I ask you a question and you go off and pout!” Charles retorted. Erik’s glare intensified and soon all the metal in his apartment was starting to warp. Throwing his hands up in the air, Charles let out a sound of disgust. “Can you at least control your powers while we argue? I would rather not you cause another hole in my _home_.” Erik’s face somehow darkened and he gave a mock bow in Charles’ direction.

“Of course, as you wish,” he snapped. Just before he could call Erik out on his actions, the metalbender stormed away from him and into the bathroom. Through the haze of anger, Charles felt fear leap into his chest, coating his throat as he tried to speak. Yet, it wasn’t until he heard the door to the bathroom shut with a click did Charles feel the fear intensify. Erik was leaving, he was sure of it. With a burst of speed that Charles wasn’t sure he possessed, he rushed towards the door and gripped the knob. The noise he let out sounded nearly inhuman as he struggled to turn the metal, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Erik! Erik! Please! Open the door, Erik! Please, don’t leave yet! Please, Erik!” Charles cried out, his voice finally working. Raising one fist he slammed it against wood, still calling out for Erik to open the door. “Erik! Please, don’t do this!” Charles pressed his forehead against the wood trying to breath, but the air wasn’t quite cooperating as he continued to plead the metalbender not to leave. 

It felt like he was calling for Erik for far too long, before his mirror monster wrenched the door open. Charles nearly fell against the metalbender, if not for the fact that Erik grabbed him by the shoulders and pressed his mouth hard against his own. Normally, Charles would’ve pushed Erik away, but at that moment he felt far too relieved that his monster hadn’t run away from him. So, instead he wrapped an arm around Erik pressing his body closer to him. Instead of fighting verbally, he and Erik were fighting with their teeth and their tongues. At some point during their battle of tongues, Charles had managed to push Erik against one wall, his hand rucking up under Erik’s shirt and feeling the muscles. Erik apparently thought that was a fantastic idea, and he began to pull Charles’ shirt up.

The action, allowed Charles’ brain for a moment to remember that just ten minutes prior he had been about to rip an Erik a new one and it really wasn’t time, or a good point in their relationship, to fall back on angry sex, especially if Charles wasn’t sure if it was a make-up or not. He pulled away, slowly and stared at Erik’s flushed face. Part of him ached for Erik to just apologize to him, but pushing for one wouldn’t get him anywhere Charles knew. He ran a hand through his hair before locking eyes with Erik.

“You know before I snapped at you, I was going to mention that Moira had texted me to ask if we were interested in seeing a game,” Charles said softly. Erik seemed far too interested in pushing his hair off his forehead and just touching him to really be paying attention. Yet, before Charles could repeat himself Erik took a small step back.

“What sort of game?” he asked. Charles missed the warmth of Erik, almost immediately, but he steeled himself from reacting too much. Instead he focused on what Erik was asking and tried to think of how to explain soccer to a mirror monster. Of course unless it was another one of the many things Erik somehow harbored knowledge of.

“Do you know what soccer is?” he asked. Erik squinted at him, most likely thinking of if he had even heard the words and if so with what context. It would’ve been cute, but Charles still felt the reeling emotions from their fights and Erik’s almost disappearing act. Yet, he couldn’t quite deny that Erik’s curious look was wearing him down even without the metalbender really trying, or apologizing. Internally, Charles told himself that he wasn’t going to allow Erik to get by without apologizing in the end, despite anything his mirror monster could try to pull. “It’s a sport, where men kick around a spherical ball?” Charles’ next words didn’t seem to trigger anything for Erik either, but the taller man nodded his head slowly.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it, but I think on it,” Erik replied as if it was completely up to him if they went or not. Charles’ nostrils flared at the idea, but he refrained from starting another argument, at least not so soon after their first fight and Erik’s almost flight.

“Of course,” Charles replied. He was pretty sure he hadn’t been snappish when he had spoken, but Erik’s brows rose upwards and the other man let out a snort. What Charles expected was a rebuff or something along those lines, but what he got instead was a smarmy grin before he was manipulated back towards the living room and onto the couch.  He also wasn’t expecting Erik to fall back onto the couch with him, or for the auburn haired man to wrap an arm around him and practically snuggle him. It took Charles a few minutes of wondering what Erik was doing, and trying not to enjoy it too much, when it hit him. Maybe wrapping him up like he was a human pillow was Erik’s way of nonverbally apologizing. Letting out a sigh, the brunet decided to allow himself to cuddle with his troubling monster. Erik pressed another kiss to his temple, and for a moment Charles remember a kiss very much like that had started them down their path to their argument. Yet even with the memories flashing in his mind, Charles didn’t tense instead he burrowed deeper into Erik’s embrace.

Charles threaded his fingers through Erik’s own, internally he could still feel the irritation and anger he had felt towards his monster, but he knew holding onto it wasn’t going to help either of them. Instead he leaned closer to Erik and nuzzled the underside of his chin, how own version of a nonverbal acceptance of Erik’s quiet plead for forgiveness.

“You want to go don’t you?” Erik asked his free fingers were drawing shapes on Charles’ back. The telepath blinked, confused for a few moments by what exactly Erik was saying. Eventually, his mind lazily supplied the answer for the question, and warmth spread through Charles’ chest.

“Oh! Oh, yes. I would like to spend some time with my sister’s friends,” Charles answered. Erik made a strange noise in the back of his throat.

“You always say that,” he commented. The brunet frowned again, more unsure of what Erik’s point was.

“Say what, Erik?” he asked.

“You always call them _your sisters’_ friends. It’s like you don’t consider yourself as part of the group, but anyone could see that you are very much one of the herd. They look up to you and adore you, Charles,” Erik answered matter-of-factly. Charles sputtered, his own mind sweeping through the words and trying to think of where Erik had gotten the idea. However, instead of saying anything Charles pressed his lips against Erik’s; he’d rather not admit that Moira was his _only_ friend. The monster didn’t seem too opposed to the change of tactics, he actually seemed rather ecstatic to join in. At some point during their necking, Charles had wound up on his back Erik’s chest pressed against his with one of his thighs in between Charles’ legs. Charles tossed one of his own legs over Erik’s hips and pressed their groins closer together. He arched upwards with a loud gasp as Erik got the memo and ground down against him. The mirror monster latched onto his neck and started to suck and bite at the flesh near his teeth. Charles was should they would’ve christened the couch and spent the entire night wrapped up in each other if not for the insistent buzzing of his cell phone. Flopping back with an irritated sigh, Charles reached out blindingly for his phone before bringing it to his ear.

“Hello?” he answered, trying hard to mask the irritation and frustration in his voice.

“I don’t care what you’re doing, actually I don’t even want to know what it is, but your presence at this game is no longer optional! So, put on your pants and get down here!” Raven shouted into the phone. Charles could hear the people in the background shouting at the field most likely and there were a couple of voices near screeching, he hoped that Sean wasn’t one of them for the sake of everyone watching the game.

“I don’t even have my pants off,” Charles protested. Erik sent him a look that said he would be more than willing to remedy Charles’ pants problem. Biting back a laugh, Charles pressed a hand against Erik’s chest and stilled him. His monster looked at him curiously waiting on what the next move was.

“I do not want to know anything, Charles! Just get your happy, almost laid ass down here and bring your boyfriend too! We need someone to keep Sean and Alex in line and Armando just isn’t cutting it!” On Raven’s side, Charles could hear Armando protesting that he did cut it; it was just that the two had gotten beers in them before he could do anything, yet despite the fact that he could indeed handle it he would be more than welcome for Erik’s help. Raven’s snort of laughter covered up whatever else the man was saying. “Anyway, you. Him. Here. Now.” The telepath wasn’t even allowed a word in before his sister hung up, most likely to tell the group that they would be arriving, and maybe scaring Sean a little.

“She hung up on me,” he said, “and it looks like it’s time to go to the game.” Erik let out a huff, but he did eventually climb off of Charles to grab his shoes. However, Charles was too lost in his thoughts on how easily everyone accepted Erik to really appreciate the monster’s promptness. None of his previous boyfriends had really gotten a welcoming on par with the one Erik was receiving. For the most part every single time Raven had extended an invite to him and after a few prods about how he did have a boyfriend who would love to not be left at home alone she’d relent and say that so and so could probably come too. Charles wasn’t too sure on _how_ to take it. Of course, he and Erik were no longer doomed from the start since he was going to find a way to keep Erik in his world. Happy with his though process, Charles grabbed the shoe hunting monster and kissed him quickly before sauntering off to change into something more game appropriate.

They had somehow made it to the game in under the allotted mental time Raven had given them, and Charles was pleased to note that his baby sister didn’t even have her coat on when he sat next to her. On his other side Erik leaned around him to give both Sean and Alex a _look_ , just like they had discussed on the drive over between playing with each other’s fingers. Sean seemed to be the one who just knew someone was looking at him and when he turned his head he let out a startled squeak all whilst falling back on Alex. The blond very nearly followed suit except instead of a noise, Alex just looked very surprised that Erik was there. Noting that it was his cue, Charles smacked Erik’s chest halfheartedly only to receive a grin and a kiss on the temple for his magnificent acting. Raven gave off a cackle at the whole affair.

“That is reason number two as to why we like him,” she said, “and reason three is because he laughs at the stories of you doing stupid shit and still seems to love you.” Charles just quirked a brow at his sister.

“And what is reason number one?” he asked. Part of him felt a little fearful of what his sister could say, but another part of him really wanted to know what the most important person in the world thought about his _boyfriend_.

“He makes you smile, and you were so freaked out for any of us to meet him that you made up that stupid mirror story. A crazy mirror story that you told Hank, I might add, the scientific one,” Raven answered.

“Wait; wouldn’t me freaking out and hiding him be a _bad_ sign to you? I mean Moira even pointed that one out,” Charles sputtered.  Raven gave him a thoughtful look.

“Usually, but unlike most of your exes where you all but pimped them out to us, you actually let Erik stand on his own. I mean your last two boyfriends you were practically gushing about what they did for a living and what humanitarian things they did. Erik? Well with him you basically threw him to the wolves just like you knew he’d come out unscathed,” Raven explained. Charles was astounded that anyone had thought he was calm during the dinner. All he remembered was hoping that Erik didn’t say something about the mirror world or say something the contradicted one of his lies. The only reason he hadn’t bragged about Erik’s job or hobbies was because his monster really didn’t give him anything to brag about.

“Oh, hey Charles, good to see you,” Hank greeted breaking through Charles’ muddled thoughts. Charles smiled blinking up towards Hank before placing a hand on Erik’s shoulder pulling the monster’s attention away from the game.

“Hello, Hank,” Charles greeted. He looked back towards Erik to see that he was still watching the game with avid fascination. Tapping him twice on the shoulder before giving it a squeeze he eventually pulled Erik’s attention back to the people surrounding them. “Erik, dear, this is Hank. Hank this is Erik, my boyfriend.” The two men briefly shook hands before Erik released the lankier man and returned his attention back to the players. Except it didn’t really end there, Hank watched Erik unlike any of the rest of his friends had, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Charles could even feel it wafting off of the man’s thoughts. For some reason, Hank didn’t trust the new addition to their group. Leaning closer to Erik, Charles allowed his actions and the fact that he felt comfortable in Erik’s presence speak for the monster’s trustworthiness. Erik almost immediately wrapped an arm around him unconsciously, while his mind was most likely still enthralled by the passing of the soccer ball. The movement however didn’t stop Hank’s mind from being worried and suspicious about Erik. Charles frowned at the whole ordeal.

“You didn’t stalk Hank either, right?” he whispered. Erik’s entire body went rigid before he looked at Hank again, eyes searching. After a couple of seconds of staring at the taller man, Erik’s body relaxed slightly and he shook his head.

“No, I am pretty sure it’s now safe to say that I have never messed with any of your friends,” Erik replied. Charles could hear the brittle edge underneath his word, and as much as he wanted to know if Erik would admit to messing with anyone else in their vicinity he kept it to himself. He still very much remembered Camille at the restaurant.

Erik had seemingly enjoyed the game and all but ignored Hank so much that Charles wondered if the other man had even noticed that suspicious glances and worried sighs. Eventually when Moira had arrived, she and Erik had bonded over the game as well as picking on Charles once more with stories about how he failed at soccer when he first played, which was when he was five and everyone sucked when they were five and trying to kick a ball half their size. Erik had laughed along with Moira after Charles had corrected them, but later on during the game his mirror monster asked him if he was any better and maybe if he wanted to _teach_ him. Charles wasn’t sure how to teach soccer in a sexy manner, but he was going to learn how to. Yet, all the happy moods and easy smiled disappeared the once they got into Charles’ apartment.

Almost immediately Erik sent a distrustful glare in the direction of the mirror, like it had affronted him. He was doing everything but flipping the reflective surface off, and not for the first time Charles wondered what had happened to make his monster so skittish. More than anything, Charles wished he could peak into Erik’s mind and see what made the man tick. He honestly had no idea how normal people dealt with getting to know others. With every new mind he ran into, Charles would get acquainted with the feel of them and the way they worked through their thoughts. Yet, there he was with Erik on step one of the relationship ladder where he knew absolutely nothing about what the man was thinking despite knowing everything about the people around him. It made part of him wary and yet the other half felt relieved. He never had to catch a passing thought that so-and-so was incredibly attractive or how much he hated when Charles talked about genetic. There were worse ones that Charles had caught every once in a while, but he didn’t care to repeat them even in his own mind. Plus, if Erik had been checking out anyone, Charles hadn’t noticed and was in the relative bliss of ignorance. Though he still couldn’t completely ignore Erik’s discomfort with the still broken mirror, standing up he moved to get rid of the blasted thing before Erik grappled at his waist pulling him back away from it.

“No, no. I’ll get rid of it,” Erik said quickly. Charles was about to demand why Erik was so certain that _he_ needed to be the one who got rid of the big bad mirror when he saw a flicker in the said thing. He startled back only for a moment unsure if he had seen someone really in his mirror again, though Erik had given him the same treatment for months. Turning away from the mirror he leaned towards Erik’s ear.

“Is one of your buddies playing mirror games?” he asked quietly. Erik’s body went ramrod straight, like he hadn’t expected Charles to even see the other figure in his mirror. That reaction worried Charles more than any off handed comments Erik had ever man.

“Something like that. Just let me take care of this, please,” Erik whispered back his lips almost glued to Charles’ ear. Check mark number three towards the creepier spectrum of his worry. But, Charles just nodded agreeing with Erik, but while his monster was out disposing of the mirror, Charles started pondering about maybe instead of creating a new pathway that Erik could use after he returned maybe he could just make sure that Erik never had to return. There had to be a way to close down a pathway from his side. Charles continued to jot down notes and ideas that he would run by Erik in a more secure area. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t thought of it before when he had caught Erik having a conversation with the mirror that someone might watch his every move with the mirror monster if only to make sure that one of their own didn’t run away from them. Charles rubbed his eyes; the more he dived into the mirror lore the more he started to think maybe he was beginning to get in deep water. “What are you doing?” Erik’s voice crashed into his mind and jarred him from his thoughts.

“How well does noise travel to mirrors?” Charles asked, glancing towards the bathroom. They were definitely far enough away from his bedroom mirror, though he started questioning maybe just getting rid of it so no one would watch him while he slept or maybe had sex with Erik, whichever came first. Erik followed his gaze and stood quiet for a little while.

“It should be muffled, why?” Erik asked. Charles nodded, that would make things easier. He ran a hand through his hair and looked up at his slightly confused monster. He wasn’t sure where Erik’s mind was, but was pretty sure Erik would never expect him to bring up the passage not after they almost had a blow up fight about it.

“Then I won’t shout my idea at you. What do you know about closing passageways?” he asked, and Erik seemed to refuse to respond. He kept his face completely neutral, which was something Charles had begun to dislike quite a bit. Usually when people tried to shut him out via facial expressions they couldn’t hide everything from him. Erik could do both, and Charles hated it. “Erik, please.” The mirror monster looked at him, staying silent for at least ten minutes before he opened his mouth and the closed it. “Erik.”

“All I know is that the leader is the only one who can seemingly do it permanently and we use a source of _imported_ energy to power most of the things that he can do,” Erik answered quietly.

“But it’s possible?” Charles asked. Erik gave a solemn nod.

“It should be,” he replied. Charles nodded, that was good if there was an energy source then it was possible that he could keep Erik from the mirror world.

“What was the energy?” Charles inquired, and for a second he saw the hesitation, he saw Erik thinking.

“I don’t know.” He saw Erik lie.

As much as he wanted to Charles didn’t press Erik, his monster could hold on to his secrets up until they started to impeded in his research. Instead he looked down at his notes and jotted down, mysterious energy source. Beside that he wrote down all the possible energy sources and with little arrow spreading out from all of them to the question of which one could be the best substitute. After a few more furiously scribbled notes, Charles realized that Erik was hovering over his shoulders looking down at what he had written with an extremely guarded face. Charles looked to his energy list and frown; he had every single possible one written down. He maybe could’ve added some more mutant abilities, but from what Erik had mentioned about the mirror world the energy couldn’t be supplied by a mutant and the energy was imported.

“Is this world the only one your kind visits?” Charles asked, a thought hitting him. If Erik and his kind could saunter over to completely different world with differing physics and laws then the energy could be something that Charles couldn’t even imagine or quite grasp a hold of.

“No, it’s only your world. But we’re not exactly limited to just your area,” Erik explained. The idea hadn’t crossed Charles’ mind, it hadn’t actually been something he had been against though. But, the moment the words were processed he couldn’t imagine the monsters working any other way. Erik seemed to be obviously cultured and while he hadn’t been too sure about sports, he had known about a lot of other things. Charles was half tempted to ask his monster if the man knew any languages that the he could whisper in his ear, but before he could let his mind wonder off to areas less suited for scientific thought he settled himself down and began jotting down more notes. Still, as he did, Charles could still feel Erik at his back watching his thought process be transferred over notes.

“Erik,” Charles sighed. He couldn’t concentrate with his monster just standing over him like some sort of sentinel, and he couldn’t very well tell Erik that he was distracting him to the point that he no longer could completely focus. “Tell me more about the mirror world,” he said. The taller man seemed unsure of the whole ordeal, but he didn’t immediately rebuke it nor did he glance wearily at the mirror. Instead the mirror monster pulled out another chair and sat down.

“What else is there really to tell?” he asked. Charles shrugged his shoulders upwards as he tried to sift through all of his ideas and thoughts on the matter. There were obvious things that Erik would either lie to keep him from or he’d just dance around them vaguely. 

“Well, where all have you been in your travels?” Charles asked. Erik looked down at his hands staring at them like they had affronted him somehow.

“Big cities mostly the smaller ones have a higher tendency to lean towards the superstition. I’ve been to Paris, Munich, St. Petersburg, and other places like that,” he answered. Charles itched to ask him what he did in all those places or what the purpose was of visiting his world and what it was the he could even collect from his point behind the mirror, but those were questions he’d have to work up to.

“Interesting,” Charles said. He didn’t want to get Erik’s hackles raised again, and Erik just smiled.

That was the way it went for a while, in between snuggling on the couch and watching horrible reality TV, Charles would ask Erik stories about his life in the mirror. They were obviously finely edited versions of what really happened, Charles knew they had to be, but it was still nice feeling as if he could really trust Erik and feel comfortable like he wasn’t dating a total and complete stranger. Though there were still times when Erik would get weird, he start acting like he was itching to do something or waiting for another shoe to drop, and it was usually after he’d been off on his own, something Charles begrudgingly became okay with after the third time Alex and Sean liberated Erik from the apartment. Thankfully, most of the time Erik returned from the outings Sean would be white in the face and Alex would be howling in laughter over something Erik did, while the mirror monster was grinning like everything was okay and fine.

“You know,” Charles began one night snuggled in Erik’s arms. “We’re actually dating. You are no longer my _fake_ boyfriend.” Erik looked down at him and smiled.

“I didn’t think I was ever your fake boyfriend,” the monster rumbled low in his throat. Charles couldn’t feel happier, he wrapped his arms around Erik and laid on his content with is life. Of course though, as with everything the other shoe eventually had to drop.

It dropped on one of the many days that Erik had been pulled out of the house, for once by Moira, though Charles wasn’t sure if he shouldn’t be more worried about Moira and Erik playing around together or Erik’s bad influence on Sean and Alex. Still he was getting ready to prepare for his next lecture when his sister barged into his office red in the face looking completely livid.

“I told him not to look _him_ up! I told him that I promised you that I wouldn’t search out Erik! I told him and he didn’t listen, but you know what Charles I am glad he didn’t!” Raven shouted. She was loud enough that everyone in the immediate area was just staring at them wide eyed. Charles had no idea what she was yelling about, but he knew he wasn’t going to like it. A weight sunk in his chest pulling him down and clogging his throat.

“What?” he barely managed to utter from the his constricted throat. Raven pressed her hands to her face and took a deep breath.

“There is no Erik Lehnsherr. Actually the only Erik Lehnsherr I found was of a baby who died in a house fire about thirty-three years ago! Hank looked it up and there is definitely no Erik Lehnsherr who is an engineer. I don’t know who he is, but he’s lying to you!” Raven cried out. There was utter and complete silence in the office everyone was just staring at them and Charles couldn’t stop the embarrassment from coloring his face.

“Raven, please,” he whispered looking at his colleagues who were far more interested in the soap opera before him.

“No! I can’t watch you get hurt by some con artist! He isn’t who he says he is. Hell how do you even know if he lives here? I mean the only time any of us see him he’s with you or at your apartment! I heard from Sean that all Erik has at your apartment is some clothing, so obviously you two really haven’t moved in together!” Charles sunk further down in his chair. He kept his eyes firmly situated on his desk. He couldn’t tell Raven the truth that he knew Erik was who he had said he was; the embarrassment would be too much. Everyone would think that he was just paying for a boyfriend. “All those times you were dropping him off for work, he was probably going to one of his other sugar daddies! He’s playing you!” Charles buried his face in his hands. He couldn’t get out of the mess unscathed. Everyone was already thinking rather loudly about poor, stupid, naïve Charles. Of course he was fooled, he trusted too easily. Thoughts of how he was such a genius that he had to be lacking somewhere sprouted up as well. None of them had ever met Erik, but from the way their thoughts played out they were so sure he was younger and so incredibly handsome that it was a no brainer.

Tears threatened to spill from Charles’ eyes. He was sure that Raven and the rest of his watchers were going to take them as embarrassment and him being upset about being fooled, but Charles could only feel anger and rage at the people around him. Also, he felt the disappointment that his sister couldn’t have respected him that her boyfriend couldn’t just acknowledge that he might’ve been suspicious about Erik but there was no reason to dive into a man’s personal life. Charles pressed the heel of his hand to his eyes and let out a choked growl. Raven almost immediately moved towards him, he could read her intent to comfort her poor broken hearted brother. He jerked away from her touch and unleashed a glare that he had never thought he could amount to.

“Why? Why couldn’t you just respect my privacy? Why couldn’t you respect his? I don’t care that it was Hank the both of you seemed to think it fit to just burst through every barrier I put up and decide that you know best! And you do it here no less! In front of _everyone_! Just think about that for a moment, please, Raven,” Charles snapped. He could feel the embarrassment and shame color his body but he didn’t care for the moment. He’d said his peace and he was going to leave the gossips to their own devices. As he stormed through the halls he brushed past a shocked and worried Moira.

“Charles? What’s wrong?” she asked blinking at him. The brunet only stilled for a moment to see if Erik was with her, so he could drag the man away from the prying eyes, but Moira was alone, which meant that Erik was _home_.

“Go ask Raven,” Charles growled.

 

The outing with Moira had been interesting. Erik didn’t know there were so many thrift stores nor did he ever think of the fact that he never had any money that wasn’t Charles. Most of the time when one of the other man’s friends would show up to take Erik out with them, Charles would slip some cash in his back pocket when he wasn’t looking and then tell him to have fun but not too much. Erik was honestly pretty sure that he’d enjoy living in the human world. Though the idea of being free was slipping further and further away the longer he stayed. Emma probably knew exactly what she had been doing when she allowed him the taste of freedom with a human he had come to care about. Shaw would’ve thrown him into a random back alley hoping that starting with nothing would make him wish for a home where he had even less. But he would’ve fought hard and felt accomplished when he made something of himself and Shaw would’ve just been sitting the background blindsided that Erik wouldn’t return to him.

“Erik!” The metalbender sat up straight and looked around the room. Emma’s voice had most likely come from the bathroom that being the only mirror left in the apartment after Charles’ purge. “Erik! Now!” Slowly, he unfolded himself from his chair and walked into the bathroom, only to see a slightly frazzled Emma staring at him frantically. Her usually coifed hair was in disarray and she was looking a little wild.

“What happened?” Erik asked. Emma was if not always in perfect pristine condition, and her appearance caught Erik off balance.

“It’s not important. Shaw’s antsy. He smells a coup and he wants you back. I know your month isn’t up, but in all truth you’re on limited time Erik. Shaw wants you to choose and whatever you do choose, make sure you don’t give him the upper hand. He’s been thinking and he’s pretty sure your human is a genuine genius which means if there is any way person Shaw could learn something new from it’d be him. Make your choice by midnight tonight,” Emma commanded him. He knew what she wanted, he knew very well what she expected of him, and for once Erik took a deep breath and agreed.

“Give me just a little while,” he whispered. Emma looked relieved, but she still held an ounce of weariness like she was expecting Erik to back out the second he set eyes upon Charles. “I promise Emma. I won’t leave you out to dry.” Whatever Emma was going to say, the front door slamming stopped her. She looked a little worried but she quickly slunk out of the mirror only just in time before Charles stormed into the bathroom and launched himself at Erik. Their lips collided with a force that made Erik stumble backwards and almost topple over into the bath.

“I am so fucking mad right now, Erik. So I think you should fuck me,” Charles snarled and pressed him lips to the underside of Erik’s jaw. Erik’s eyes practically crossed as the words sunk in deeply. Breathing in Charles’ scent, he sent a mental apology to the other man.

“I can do that,” he whispered. Charles just looked at him like he’d somehow won the lottery and his face brightened even more once Erik hoisted him up. Without being told, Charles wrapped his legs around Erik’s waist and kissed him like he was air. They somehow made it to the bed, an accomplishment that Erik would’ve patted himself on the back for if not for the way Charles pulled him down immediately back on top of him and rolled his hips. Erik wasn’t sure who pissed his boyfriend off, but he sent a thanks to them for doing so.

“Hurry up!” Charles bit out impatiently. “We’re not even naked yet!” Erik just barely held back a groan, Charles impatience was a good look on him especially when he was flushed. Still with Charles’ prodding he made quick work of both of their clothing before once more laying on top of his human.

They both groaned at the feel of skin to skin contact, and it didn’t take long before Charles was shifting his hips rubbing their cocks together. Erik pressed his face against Charles’ neck and bit down. The shorter man let out a breath moan while his nails scrapped along Erik’s back, drawing out a pained hiss from the mirror monster. “Jesus Fucking Christ Erik, if you don’t get on with it I am going to murder you!” Charles snarled. Pulling back if only to chuckle and collect the lube from the bedside table, Erik couldn’t help but admire Charles’ gleaming blue eyes and his bright red lips.

“You’ve asked for it,” Erik warned him before he slicked up his fingers. Charles just canted his hips towards him and gave off a smarmy smirk, daring him to do his worst. Pressing in, Erik reveled in the noises Charles made, he didn’t even mind the new scratch marks that Charles added to his back. Charles was absolutely magnificent in Erik’s eyes. Eventually he added another finger and garnered another bout of senseless muttering from Charles.

“God! Erik, please, please, please, please!” Charles begged. He grappled for Erik’s shoulders pulling the taller man more fully on top of him.

“More?” Erik asked, and Charles bobbed his head up and down vigorously.

“Yes, more you bloody fucking bastard!” Name calling in bed was something Erik wished he could get used to. Erik didn’t have to be told twice; he slowly lowered himself to Charles and pressed in. Charles made a soft keening noise before grappling for Erik’s ass trying to push him in faster. “Erik, please, you fucking tease of a man.” Erik would’ve let out a bark of laughter, but he couldn’t quite focus the heat, the tightness was the only thing running through his mind as he slowly pushed further in until he was completely in. He stilled if only just for a moment and stared at Charles’ eyes, just so he could never forget what they looked like and so he could relish in the feel of Charles all around him. But after Charles made another insistent noise, Erik got on with it. He rolled his hips pressing in and out of Charles with a languid pace. He kept it up, enjoying Charles’ curses and muttered gibberish until he couldn’t hold back anymore. The second he picked up the pace, Charles slung a leg over his hips to help him out. “Don’t you dare cum you, I want to get off just from you fucking me,” Charles whispered in his ears. Erik very nearly choked on air and nearly went off just from the words alone.

“I’ll try my best,” he grunted. He must’ve hit the right spot because Charles threw back his head and let out another spout of profanity, still clinging to him tightly. Erik kept pounding the spot his breath becoming ragged as he tried to abstain from losing it. Yet fortunately before he couldn’t help but topple over the edge, Charles arched against him and cried out his fingers digging into Erik’s skin as he rode through his orgasm. The monster tumbled off the edge almost immediately after him. They laid there side by side panting and enjoying each other.

“Next time, I’m going to rid your ass hard,” Charles whispered to him before rolling to his side and brushing a strand of hair off of his forehead. Erik smiled, though it was tinged with sadness.

“Of course,” he agreed, knowing that there would never be a next time.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where things unravel and lives change.

There is actually fanart for this story, can you believe it? I can't.

Look at the beautiful art that was inspired by this story by Elsian: [Link ](http://elsianart.tumblr.com/post/20947922249/fanart-for-monster-in-the-mirror-ill-get-a-link)

This piece is by Zimothy, though I caution you it has a spoiler for the end of the chapter, look at it beforehand at your own risk: [Link](http://i40.tinypic.com/2uymykn.png)

Also a drawing for the end of the chapter, but this one is by Campfiretreat: [Link](http://campfireart.tumblr.com/post/21710922054/i-loved-pipsdaspixies-story-the-monster-in-the)

[](http://elsianart.tumblr.com/post/20947922249/fanart-for-monster-in-the-mirror-ill-get-a-link)

 

X

 

Erik hadn’t been acting as strange as he had before, but as they rested in bed Charles could see that he was obviously thinking hard about something. Though what it was, he wasn’t too sure. He wished he could just wrap Erik’s mind up in his own and figure out what was bothering his boyfriend so much. Yet once more, he had to acknowledge that Erik still had him at a disadvantage. Charles reached forward and brushed the hair away from Erik’s forehead once more and just watched as Erik’s eyes darted around the ceiling.

“You know you don’t have to bottom, if you aren’t comfortable about it,” Charles ventured. He hoped that wasn’t the case, but he’d seen enough men freak out about bottoming that he couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t Erik’s fear either. He felt almost scared by what Erik could say what if his monster was regretting everything or maybe he was planning an escape. Charles mentally smacked himself; even if Erik didn’t want to bottom it didn’t mean that the monster was going to run away. He knew Erik had more grit than that, the mirror monster had proven time and time again. Still for some reason Charles felt apprehension as he waited in silence for Erik to answer his question.

“I’m okay with it, Charles, I’m just thinking,” Erik answered after what felt like ages of silence. Charles wanted to ask what he was thinking of, he actually itched to know what was going through Erik’s head, but he relented. It wasn’t like Erik had the best track record of actually telling him what was on his mind and he had just barely broken through to Erik to get the man to tell him only semi-personal stories. Erik must’ve known the look on his face because he let off a laugh and just looked at Charles a small smile on his face. “I’m thinking about you. It is nothing really world ending or surprising. Just you,” Erik told him. Charles smiled, warmth spreading through his torso as he looked at the monster.

“Oh, yeah what about me?” he asked. He rolled so that he was on top of Erik his chin resting on the other man’s chest.

“I was just thinking about how loud you were,” Erik teased. Smacking him hard on the arm Charles rolled his eyes.

“I highly doubt that’s all that you had in mind, but then again maybe it was,” Charles replied. Erik didn’t deny it he just gave a wide grin before he carded his hand through Charles’ hair. “Tell me more of your thoughts on me,” he whispered. Erik smiled at him and it was slow and tinged with a blend of emotions that Charles couldn’t pick out one from the other. 

“I thought,” Erik paused and it felt like only for a moment but Charles could see Erik flickering through thoughts of continuing to tease him or brutal honesty. “I thought that your eyes were beautiful especially when you looked at me like I’m the only thing in the world. Charles, I don’t think you’ll ever get what you’ve done to me.” The honesty felt like a punch to his stomach and Charles felt as if he were gasping for air, trying to scramble for purchase. He’d expected more teasing or something akin to Erik’s usually snarky personality. Blinking owlishly, Charles tried to make his mouth work to tell Erik that it wasn’t him that did something to Erik, but it was Erik who had done something to _him_.

“Erik-.” His mirror monster pressed a finger against his lips and shook his head.

“No Charles just, no. Let’s get some rest tonight at the very least. Okay?” Erik asked. Charles nodded slowly. He wanted to say more, but he’d have the morning to do so. He snuggled against the taller man, burrowing his face against Erik’s skin and he dreamed.

He dreamed in colors and of bright people laughing. He also dreamed that Erik was off to the side watching him with a fond smile, yet as Charles moved to walk towards Erik to bring him into the light areas his path became longer and more twisted. He knew he should be able to walk over to Erik and that he should be able to at least talk to him. Yet despite all his running Erik never came closer nor did he really move. The mirror monster just stood staring at him with eyes that were getting sadder and sadder with each passing moment. Behind him though, Charles could hear the laughter and the happiness, but Erik was shrouded and kept ever so until Charles reached a pool of ice. He didn’t think, instead he pressed forward intent on braving the slippery surface, yet the second he touched the ice it melted beneath him into a gooey mess. Charles flailed his arms reaching far and wide as he tried to balance himself but it was no good, he’d gone too far.

Charles sat up with a start, blinking away the odd dream. There had been a few times in which his mind like to play tricks on him, but never one throw in people or such symbolism. Charles laughed, he had to tell Erik all about the strange dream just so he could see the monster’s amused grin as he listened. Yet, Erik wasn’t in the bed, which in itself wasn’t odd, but for some reason Charles couldn’t shake the wrong feeling. He threw back the covers and immediately checked the closet space he had set aside for Erik. Nothing was disturbed, but then again it wasn’t like Erik to cut and run to the outside world. He was certain the monster had wanted a permanent end to his troubles. Slowly, Charles padded over to the bathroom, his body trembling as he did. He wasn’t sure why he was so worried, but he felt it well up inside. He’d probably just find Erik either talking to the mirror again or doing some morning routine. Still, as he pushed open the door Charles held his breath hoping that whatever was sinking in his stomach was wrong. The door opened to an empty bathroom, except it wasn’t quite empty there was a note taped onto the facet with Erik’s scrawl over the white space. _I’m Sorry_. Charles fell to his knees and let out a gasping sob.

He sat there for ten minutes on his apartment floor, staring at the note. It was just two words and Charles knew exactly what it meant. It meant that Erik went back to the mirror world that he was sorry for something else too. Maybe for giving Charles such a conundrum to solve and then leaving him alone with half of the puzzle pieces, but no Charles shook his head. It was more than that. He knew it was more than that because Erik wouldn’t say sorry for messing up Charles’ intellectual pursuits. No, he’d have to say sorry for more. He pushed himself up to his feet and wobbled forward snatching the note sure that it had to say more, and for once life didn’t disappoint him. When he folded the entire paper open he saw that Erik had written him a rather long letter.

 _I’m sorry_. It stated again. _I was never fully honest with you, and that was because I didn’t trust you at first. I’m not going to say something as cliché as telling  you that after I got to know you, I thought differently because until I was forced with the truth I would’ve tried to play you the entire time. I’m sorry I am such a horrible thing, and that I continued to hurt you even though I found myself caring about you and I think you may have cared about me. I believe it’s time I tell you everything, and tell you why I left. It’s the best I can do after everything._

 _As you know in the mirror world I often visited other people and I often alluded to the fact that it wasn’t a glamorous job, but Charles, I never quite mentioned that my job was to collect souls and at one point you were a person on my list_. Charles frowned and read that section over again. _It wasn’t until you called me Bloody Mary or that you tried to goad me into attack you, did I fully decide that I wasn’t going to coax your soul from you. I had been watching you for months trying to figure out an angle to use to get you to give it up. The scientific ones were always the hardest to convince. Still once you caught my attention more fully, I thought that maybe out of everyone you’d be able to pull me from the mirror world permanently. I was never completely honest, but the reason I was collecting souls was to finish my contract. Shaw, my boss and the ruler of the mirror world, has contracts that after a monster has filled them they are allowed to live their lives out from under his thumb, but it isn’t any surprise that the only ones to ever fill their contracts are the ones that want to stay. _

_But I got caught, in a sense they knew I was spending far too much time with you and they knew that I had peaked your intrigue about creating a path between the two worlds. I was given an ultimatum either I trick you into going into the mirror world, or I leave and take everything with me. I destroyed all of your research on the mirror world, but I was careful and I left everything from your normal research alone. I couldn’t say this out loud, but I’m sorry_. _Don’t try to restart your research and please if anyone appears in the mirror get rid of it. I think over time Shaw got more and more interested in your brain, and he’ll want you. This is my goodbye. I did come to love you Charles, but I have a promise to uphold and that’ll probably be the end of me. _

-          _Erik_

Charles set the note down carefully, almost as if it were glass. He barely resisted the urge to throw something at the mirror to crack it and break it into tiny little pieces, but one thought stopped him. What if Erik was wrong what if his lover just underestimated himself and he would return? Charles wasn’t sure if he was stupid to hold on to that hope or if he was just not taking in the entire realm of possibilities. He pressed at his eyes and walked out of the bathroom and slowly back into the bedroom. Either Moira or Raven would probably rush into to see how he was especially after Raven told Moira most likely what Hank found out. He was still rather pissed at the two of them, but in a sense he understood. But it didn’t make him happy about it at all. Charles pulled on his clothing and listened for either a knock on the door or for the door to open on its own accord. It was only a few minutes after he pulled on a sweater over his head that the door swung open tentatively. If Erik were there he would’ve sent him an amused smirk before sauntering out like he’d owned the place. Charles took a deep, shuddering breath and turned to face his sister. Except it wasn’t only his sister, along with her stood a reprimanded looking Hank and an angry looking Moira. The elder woman looked like she was about to spit out nails and Charles wondered if she was mad at the two in her grasp or if she were going to tear into him like Raven had earlier. He pushed his hair away from his face and let out a sigh willing her to get it over with, especially if she was going to ream him for harboring a man he knew nothing about.

“Raven and Hank both have something to tell you, Charles.” Moira pushed the two of them forward roughly before stepping back and folding her arms over her chest.  Charles startled, shocked that it wasn’t about _Erik_ at least not about Erik not being who he was supposed to be.

“Charles, I wasn’t thinking. I really shouldn’t have yelled at you in front of everyone about Erik being a fake, but I guess I was also thinking about how embarrassed I was too. I mean the guy tricked everyone. We all thought he was this cool kind of quirky guy who was perfect for you and he’s just this loser who tried to run you around. So, I’m sorry about yelling at you in front of everyone, but I’m not sorry about bringing lies out in the open,” Raven said. She held her head up like it was some sort of battle she was being prepped for. She glanced at Hank, who was still staring at his shoes like they were going to give him answers. “Hank!” she snapped. He looked up, eyes wide and his teeth ready to gnaw on his bottom lip.

“Charles, I want to say I’m sorry for looking him up despite and ignoring Raven when she told me not to, but I really can’t. But, he just rubbed me the wrong way. There was something off about him! However, I am sorry I started this whole thing and it led to you getting hurt,” Hank muttered the last part. Charles wasn’t sure if he should take Hanks apology or just ignore it, it wasn’t like the man had really apologized, but he did understand that Hank had felt he had to find out what was off about Erik. He just wished that his sister’s boyfriend hadn’t decided to check so soon after meeting the man.

“And now that that is done, where is Erik?” Moira asked looking around. Nothing looked like there had been a blow up fight and one of Erik’s jackets was still lounging on the couch. It all looked like maybe Erik hadn’t left Charles after sex, and maybe he had just gone out for a bite. Charles rubbed his face, trying to work up the strength to tell his sister and his _friends_ that Erik was gone. They’d want explanations and since he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to give them a line about how he and Erik fought over who he really was, he didn’t know what he wanted to say. Part of Charles wanted to just reach out and tamper with their memories make them think that they got a good answer out of him and then left, but he wasn’t that skilled and if anyone found out he would be in serious trouble.

“He left,” he croaked out. Whatever smugness Raven or Hank had thought they would’ve had because of their outing of Erik, he knew they didn’t feel it. He knew they were thinking about what they had done more than they had before, and maybe they would end up being sorry for everything. Charles didn’t want to talk about it. All he wanted to do was walk away from them and lock himself in the bedroom.

“He left?” Moira parroted him. Charles looked up eyes locking onto her and let out another sigh.

“Yes, he left. He didn’t want to complicate my life any more than he already has and he wants to keep me _safe_ ,” Charles tried for the truth. It would either bring them to understand Erik a little more, or they would all latch on that Erik left to keep him safe which meant there was something dangerous. Raven didn’t speak; she launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

“I am so sorry, Charles,” she whispered against his neck. The brunet patted her back.

“I know, and I’ll forgive you just right now I want to deal with the fact that Erik is gone,” he replied softly. As he spoke, Moira and Hank both joined into the hug making it more like a group cuddle with Charles right in the middle.

 

~*~

 

Shaw wasn’t impressed; he was standing in front of his desk his fingers splayed over the cold metal, the very metal that Erik could only hear weeping and straining for his touch. Yet, Erik didn’t flinch he hadn’t even expressed emotion since Emma found him leaning against a wall fighting back the urge to just return to Charles and his warm arms. He hadn’t thought he had it that bad, but obviously if he was ready to give his life up for someone that meant he had it bad. Erik just stared at Shaw as he tapped a finger along to an unheard beat.

“You didn’t return with the _notes_ , Erik,” Shaw said softly, his eyes zeroing in on Erik’s blank face. The metalbender just lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

“I thought they were too dangerous to transport, so I destroyed them,” Erik replied. To his left he knew Emma was internally glad for his actions even if Shaw was beginning to seethe. The man probably hadn’t expected Erik to be intelligent enough to even string together the idea of destroying the notes and returning, he had probably held out hope for getting a hold of Charles’ notes. What Shaw would do with them, Erik hadn’t put too much thought to it but Emma obviously had and she didn’t want him to get any more of the upper hand.

“Oh, I see. Well that wasn’t part of the deal, Erik I said that if you returned you had to bring the research with you,” Shaw snapped. Erik blinked up at the man.

“Sir, I took that information as to mean I had to dispose of the information, not that I had to take it with me no matter what,” Erik said evenly. In his mind he heard Emma laugh, she was enjoying the sparring. _This is why I want you here, Erik. No matter what you do, Shaw still seems to think you could turn out to be his favorite son_. Emma’s words in his head would’ve jarred him if she hadn’t been keeping up a running commentary in his mind while Shaw watched him. Still the idea that Shaw wanted him to be his most likely broken and warped heir left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Well it was wrong, Erik, and because you were wrong, I’m going to have to take your little human pet into our home and _keep_ him,” Shaw explained. The way he said keep, made a shudder of anger sweep through Erik. Shaw was going to try more than just coaxing Charles into the mirror realm; he was going to try to ruin good, intelligent Charles with his dark ways. It would be like the one time; Erik had coaxed a truly good person into giving up their soul. He’d played up the need of help and the need of not being alone, and she had been so ready to try to save him that in the end she’d died for it and Erik had carried that memory wedged in the back of his mind for years. Shaw though had been pleased, so very pleased and he had reveled when he had heard the name: Edie Lehnsherr. He hadn’t made a comment though on how Erik’s name had matched hers, though that had been all that Erik could think about. However, he knew that mirror monsters were born in the mirror world and Edie had been tragically human. “Oh, yes, Erik I am going to have quite a bit of fun with your little human friend, and after I break him he’s going to tell me everything,” Shaw said gleefully.

He knew immediately he was playing into Shaw’s hand and he knew that the man had been testing his loyalty. Erik was well aware the acceptable response would’ve been a sneer and a comment that if Shaw wanted his _sloppy_ seconds he was more than welcome to it. Emma was counting on him to hold it together, but it was _Charles_ and his human wasn’t even there to defend himself. The metal awakened to his call, it stopped weeping and wailing and instead started to shake with anger. Emma started out of her chair, her eyes wide and her mouth thinning. _Erik!_ Her snap against his mind didn’t deter him. If getting rid of Shaw would save Charles then he would sacrifice himself to keep Charles safe then so be it. A sharp whistle broke some of Erik’s concentration causing him to drop more than half of his control, and yet like it was all planned as if Emma knew he wasn’t going to hold onto his control or his anger. Azazel appeared with a sulfuric poof. The man couldn’t have been only a few feet away from the door beforehand. The red man lunged forward, wrapping an arm around Erik’s middle and transported him down two stories until he was out of Emma’s range. Azazel was breathing hard and had a hand on his knee.

“I usually don’t have to make trips so often. But you should run. Close your mind and run to this address,” Azazel said as he shoved a piece of paper in Erik’s hand. “I believe you’ve started the coup early, but then again with Emma maybe she hoped you would.” Azazel didn’t anything more before he popped away, maybe to retrieve Emma from Shaw’s clutches or to hide himself. Erik didn’t care exactly what the man was doing; instead he looked down at the piece of paper and started running. Maybe later he could sneak off and visit Charles, yet even as he contemplated the thought, Erik knew that that particular wish wasn’t going to happen for a while.

 

~*~

 

Charles liked to pretend that him throwing himself into his work wasn’t at all his way of avoiding talking about Erik or grieving about the man because there was nothing to grieve. He and Erik had barely lasted a month and there was no way that he had found his soul mate or that his soul mate was a monster from the mirror realm. Plus, Charles was a man of science soul mates was something people like Raven or Sean would talk about, not him. He rubbed at his temples trying to stay the ridiculous thoughts of Erik and this not soul mate believing status. Of course as much as he wanted a distraction from his thoughts, when Hank shuffled into the room head hanging low Charles was fairly certain that he didn’t want Hank’s version of a distraction. The young man had been trying to get back on his good side especially since being on his bad side meant that the poor boy was on Raven’s bad side too, despite the fact that Raven was still pretty much on Charles’ shit list too. Hank smiled at him nervously, playing with his fingers the entire time.

“Yes, Hank?” Charles finally ground out. Maybe if he listened to whatever Charles was rambling about then he could eventually allow his brain to find a more suitable distraction because Hank’s favorite subject was still _Erik_. Added to all the times Hank said he was sorry about what he’d done, Charles just wanted it over with. He was no longer stuck on Erik, so why was everyone else. So what if he didn’t go out as often or he’d become a bigger workaholic in the month with Erik, less than a month it was twenty-six days not even February would take that, he’d ignored most of his actual relevant research in hopes of saving Erik.

“I know I promised to stop looking into anything related to Erik or really anything about him, but something really bugged me when I first researched him. I noticed that when they said the infant died that his parents survived the fire. At first they looked at them to see who caused the fire because maybe they couldn’t handle the child and decided that fire was the best way. Except it wasn’t the case. Edie Lehnsherr swore that something in the house stole her baby boy away because when she went to grab her son he wasn’t in his crib,” Hank said quietly. Charles tried to pretend he could care less about Hank’s research, yet something prickled the back of his mind. The year it had been a while back when the baby Erik Lehnsherr had disappeared from his crib and supposedly died in a fire. Charles sat up straighter and looked Hank right in the eyes.

“When did you say the fire happened?” Charles asked. Hank looked shocked from what he was about to say, but he quickly changed gears once he realized that Charles was actually conversing with him and not just humoring him.

“I didn’t, Raven was the one who looked it up really, I just skimmed over it and noticed that,” he stilled at Charles’ deadpanned look, “Right. Uh, I believe it was thirty-three years ago, and the baby was only a few months old not even a year. So, if he was alive he’d either be thirty-four or be close to it. Actually funny enough your Erik seemed to pick a very good person to impersonate. Though it’s not like if the kid was kidnapped that they’d let him keep his original name,” Hank said with a laugh. Charles looked up at him, eye bright.

“Or maybe they would. Especially if they ever thought he’d never get away from them,” Charles whispered. His mind rolled through all of the possibilities that maybe Erik wasn’t a monster. He had obviously looked human that most of the time Charles hadn’t really thought about the actual title that man was given. Leaning forward he gripped Hank’s lapel and pulled the startled man forward. “Where is the mother? Where is Edie Lehnsherr?” Charles demanded. Hank just sat looking at him like he had lost his mind before recovering and pulling away from Charles’ grip.

“She’s dead Charles. She died from a heart attack about three years ago. I read the report; they found her in front of her bedroom mirror,” Hank told him. Charles dropped the man’s clothing like he was burned and took a step away, his breath clamoring within his chest. If his mind had been racing before it had nothing on it once the information hit him.

“That son of a bitch,” Charles breathed out. Hank just looked at him startled.

“Excuse me?” The taller man asked confused. Charles shook his head. There wasn’t time to explain all of Erik and not sound like a loon. While in the note, Erik had said that he destroyed everything, Charles was fairly certain even his monster didn’t know about all the back-up files he had squirreled away just in case his computer had ever crashed. He could still maybe rework most of his calibrations and maybe find a way to open and close a portal just enough to get Erik out, and get him safe. Erik had thought he was going to save him, but obviously Erik had no idea of what safe meant.

“Hank, just get me all the information you can get on that family. I want pictures, and I want _everything_. Get that for me and we’ll be a little closer to being better,” Charles demanded. The other man just blinked at him, but he seemed to think better of questioning why Charles was so obsessed with the Lehnsherr family. Instead he bobbed his head up and down before scrambling to get the information. Charles waited a couple of beats before he slowly packed up all of his things. His colleagues were already wondering what he was doing, and what McCoy had been doing in his office. Charles wanted to give them all a pinched face glare, but that would be revealing that he was indeed in their mind. He opted instead for ignoring their prying looks and focusing on the problem at hand. He’d have to figure out how to supplement the unknown energy source into his calibrations and figure out what sort of rituals Erik had been poorly hinting at before the mirror had scared him, before their first big fight. Charles stilled, his breath catching inside of his chest and coiling up like a snake. Their fight it hadn’t really struck him too much after Erik’s disappearance, but in hindsight maybe he should’ve paid more attention to that fight and why they had it. He dragged a thumb over his bottom lip before letting his entire hand drop to his side. It hadn’t been all about the _tantrum_ not completely.

“Damn it,” Charles whispered lowly.

 

~*~

 

Emma didn’t look worse for the wear, but she never really did except for a few instances that they never mention in mixed company. Still she was staring outside of the dilapidated building her eyes searching for one of Shaw’s spies even if she couldn’t feel their minds. Not until it would be too late, and they both knew it. It wasn’t like Erik’s powers were any help either; his grasp on the metal was weak like a child’s.

“So out there, you could move a lot of metal?” Emma asked, striking up a conversation. Erik bowed his head, if only just to look at his hands useless in the war against Shaw. Or maybe they were merely in a battle. He couldn’t tell, even though Emma assured him after her main plan they would be able to take down Shaw without a struggle, he wasn’t so sure they’d get to Plan A without a long struggle.

“It was like I was breathing. It sang there, Emma, it wanted me to play with it and sometimes I would do just that. Maybe out there you’d be more of a terrifying person than you are here,” Erik mused. Emma let off a deep throaty laugh, tipping her head back a little as she watched him behind heavy lids.

“I suppose I might’ve. I’m just so used to struggling to listen and talk to people in a different room and me I don’t know what I’d do if I could hear people from miles,” she whispered. Erik nodded his head, he hadn’t thought of what life could be like if the metal didn’t weep or strain weakly towards him, but stepping into Charles’ world it’d been like coming home. Emma must’ve heard the last thought as she let out a bark of laughter. She rubbed her temples before letting out a deprecating smile. “Of course it’d feel like home. Shaw has a nasty habit of taking things away from where they naturally belong. A very nasty habit of that,” Emma said softly. Erik stared at his hands once more, so Shaw obviously took his powers away, took them away from where they belonged. Emma’s sigh was heavy and the way she placed a hand on his shoulder it felt like they were both holding up the world.

“What is Plan A?” he asked. She gave him one more squeeze on the shoulder.

“We weren’t always struggling for our abilities, Shaw’s found a way to dampen not only my power but everyone else too of course except for him, but that’s not the point. We don’t have time to find out the calibration of the machine and switch it,” Emma explained.

“So, we need to find the machine and even the playing field?” Erik asked. She nodded, allowing a small smile to break over her features as she looked at him

“Exactly, but unfortunately if the rumors are to be believed the closer to the machine you get while it’s working the less of your abilities you have control over, so I think we need something that the humans are quite fond of,” Emma explained. Erik sat in silence for a few moments trying to think of _what_ humans fancied to use. Yet, then the idea slammed into his skull creaking along his skin and pulling at his memories. Sean and Alex were always quite intrigued by explosions and while most could be very well caused by Alex, to describe how most humans could do the same amount of damage, Sean had told him about bombs. “Right, Erik, bombs. Now how are we going to get a bomb expert here?” she asked.

“Knowing you Emma you’ve already gotten that done,” Erik commented. Emma let out a peel of soft laughter and nodded her head.

“Yes, I did. This is why I need you Erik, why I needed you to have your head in the game. You’re going to plant the bomb and then when you get a far enough distance you and Azazel will teleport away from it, but you have to be quick we have it on a timer.”   Erik nodded slowly, it would make sense he was one of the few people Emma could trust and still throw out into the fray. Shaw already knew his face and she wouldn’t have to risk any of her little spies to get something done, plus Azazel would be there and the man had almost as much as Erik to lose.

“When are we doing this?” he asked. Emma’s teasing expression slide from her features like oil over water and she cast her eyes down on the ground.

“In two hours,” Emma said softly. The air gushed out of him with a whoosh, and he just looked at Emma, but she didn’t even have the gall to look sorry about springing the whole thing on him. Erik shook his head before he held out his hand.

“Where are the schematics, Frost?” he asked. Emma almost wiggled in her seat before she held out the plans and gave him a soft smile.

“You know, Erik, I was glad you grew a conscience at least enough to save your human. If you hadn’t I would’ve know I couldn’t trust you,” Emma told him. The metalbender looked up his brow arched slightly.

“Next time you want to test me, Emma, please do it without letting me get a taste of freedom,” Erik advised. Emma nodded.

“Noted, now look at the schematics then run them by Azazel he’ll need to know where exactly he needs to go,” Emma commanded. Erik nodded.

 

~*~

 

Two hours later, Erik found himself pressed against the metal structure of a wall while he watched Azazel try to pick a lock with his tail. He had offered to try to manipulate something into the shape of the lock or maybe even manipulating the lock itself, but Azazel had shaken his head and continued on in his endeavors in lock picking. All he wanted was to move forward and knock Shaw on his ass; he wanted to destroy the one thing Shaw used to hold over everyone. He clutched his fists into his side and stared at Azazel. The man was taking too long, Erik decided as he reached forward. Back at Charles he had felt like everything was part of him, that his feel of metal was only an extension of himself. All he had to do was reach out and flick the switch. It was like greeting an old friend. But the metal in the mirror world was foreign to him; it called to him in another language. A headache bloomed behind his left eye as he wrapped his senses around the metal and felt it slowly click to open. Azazel made a noise of victory, as if he had been the one to coax the lock open, and he completely ignored as Erik rubbed at his forehead trying to right himself.

“I told you,” Azazel said quickly, almost as if he were chiding a child. Erik tried to glare at the other man, but his head was still feeling the effects of pushing his body a little too far. He clapped the red man on the shoulder before shifting the strap. Emma had wanted a little more secure way of transporting such dangerous device; as opposed to allowing Erik hold it in his hands. She’d said that he had more of chance to set it off accidently by fiddling with it, something Erik had snorted at but he relented when she gave him the bag with the bomb already placed inside it.

“Great, now let’s hope we don’t run into anymore locked doors, we’re already behind schedule,” Erik growled. He didn’t want to watch Azazel play around with any more locks nor did he feel like worsening his headache. He just wanted Shaw on his knees and begging for mercy, but he wouldn’t get that until the device was no more.

“You okay, Lehnsherr? You look a little pale,” Azazel narrowed his eyes at Erik, searching the other man’s face. Before the red man could get a clue, Erik pushed past him and walked down the hall holding his head up as he sauntered past other locked doors. There was only one way to the inner chamber where the device was held, the others were just red herrings. Plus Erik could feel his powers waning even more than normal as he approached the door on the far side of the hall. Out of the corner of his eyes he could even see Azazel’s features start to change. His physical mutation was waning to show pink human skin, almost as if he was never different in the first place. His tail was also slowly disappearing as they walked nearer.

“Fine, you okay Azazel? You’re looking a little pink?” Erik snarked, his lips were quick to pull back into a wide grin. The very one Sean had often cackled and said made him look like a shark from a movie called _Finding Nemo_. The once red man sneered at him before lobbing a _“Fuck you Lehnsherr”_ in his direction. He shouldn’t have felt the satisfaction, but part of him enjoyed messing with Azazel, just enough that he could get his mind away from his life outside of the mirror. Emma needed him at his best, and even though he was wobbling and sweating Erik was going to give her the best. Erik pushed open the door ready to feel the last of his powers ebb away.

It felt like his nerves were one fire, and yet like everything was within his grasp. Power swelled and extended past his arms and legs filling him certainty. He could squish the machine within seconds, but did he really want to? Beside him Azazel looked far more like the humans variation of a demon. He also looked like he might be thinking that destroying the device wasn’t such a good idea. A snarl ripped through Erik’s chest as he thought about sharing the new heightened power. It was like breathing in fire and not burning from it, Erik never wanted to let it go. Yet as he moved towards the device away from Azazel, Erik’s senses sharpened he could feel the mechanisms for the bomb he was carrying. It was ticking along unperturbed by the minds surrounding it. It was going to blow up and finish Emma’s plan no matter what Erik wanted. The thought of maybe just stopping it of modeling it to do his own purposes curled through his mind almost tantalizing, yet as it did another sweeping thought arrived at it heels, covered in blue and kindness. _Charles_ , his mind breathed.

It was like a key unveiling all of the toxic thoughts that had wormed their way through his mind. Erik startled at the idea that he was going to allow a device stay as it was, that he was going to allow Shaw to still have some power. Glancing over at Azazel, he knew almost immediately that the man hadn’t had a moment to break free for the temptation. With only a moment to apologize to the red skinned man, Erik pulled the bomb from the bag and sent it into the heart of the machine, the heart that he could feel very well. The machine, a strangely conscious thing, called to him damning him for being a fool and a pitiful _human_. Erik would’ve startled, if the explosion hadn’t forced him to fly backwards and into the singing metal walls.

 

~*~

 

Everyone was pretty sure he’d lost it, but Charles didn’t really care. He was far too busy trying to figure out the exact workings of the device that he’d managed to piece together with some favors he’d cashed in over the years. Plus with what he couldn’t get with his charm or calling on favors he just threw some of his inheritance at. It’d managed to get him a strange sketch and more than a few conversations with people who either swore they were from the mirror world or that they had known someone from it. He hadn’t been too sure that anything anyone had told him would actually amount to something, until he had met Angel. She’d been cautious always looking around and she’d be adamant that she did not want to be anywhere near a mirror. Instead she insisted on meeting in a dark alleyway, where there weren’t any alley ways, something that Charles hadn’t been too sure anyone could accomplish. Eventually, Angel told him about a terrifying mirror world where they were ruled by a dictator who somehow managed to have his full power while every struggled to harness any of theirs.

“From what I understand it’s like he found a way to collect all the mutants, have them be raised in the mirror world so that they think their monsters, but no one knows for sure because no one ever stays out of the mirror world for long and once they’re back in they never come out,” Angel said. She shifted uneasily as if she were waiting for the mirror police to appear out of nowhere to come around. “That’s just what I heard,” she tacked on after a few minutes of silence. Charles had just stayed quiet until Angel had left, his mind wrapping around the information and the absolute truth of the fact that unless he opened the portal he was never going to see Erik again, and there was a royal verbal smack down that the metalbender deserved. Yet the thought that Erik was probably trapped in the mirror world made his chest clutch tightly. He had stayed in the alley way just staring at the ground for a few minutes.

But that had been days past, and Charles was pretty sure he’d gleamed enough information from Angel’s words that there was a machine that not only allowed passage but it could close as well. It had sounded rather ornate and ridiculously detailed, but Charles was willing to go for it, which was probably why everyone thought he was insane. And, if he took that particular bit of information into account then, he supposed he was rather insane.

Charles wasn’t particularly shocked when Hank sat down next to him, out of all of his _companions_ who thought he was insane Hank seemed to be the only one still uneasy enough to try to give Charles information. Or maybe Charles had just goaded Hank enough that the man wanted to prove through science that whatever he was working on wasn’t good for him. Whatever it was, Hank seemed to be staking his relationship with Raven on the interaction between himself and Charles.

“I looked around, and this is crazy as it gets Charles but we’re at the bottom of the barrel here,” Hank said as he flipped over notes. Charles snorted, but he refrained from rolling his eyes because if he hadn’t known about Erik he would’ve agreed that they were in a very deep barrel of crazy. Still, the fact that Hank decided to help him out was something he could respect.

“Well, then if it’s our last ditch effort, please enlighten me,” Charles replied dryly.

“Souls, apparently that’s how they power everything. Souls,” Hank scoffed. Charles would’ve laughed, except for some reason the idea stuck to him like fly paper. It should’ve been a horrific idea to just scoff at, but all the times Erik had mentioned imported _goods_ and how his job wasn’t glamorous. The words rang horrifically in his mind, twisting around until he couldn’t imagine any other secret. Erik had most likely killed people he’d gotten rid of them and ended their lives. He fell in _love_ with a murderer over the span of _twenty-six_ _days_. The air rushed out of Charles’ lungs and he didn’t know if he’d ever regain the ability to breathe again. Hank looked at him worried, eyes bugging out behind glasses. Charles was sure he could take a gander at Hank’s mind to figure out what the man saw, but he didn’t want to know. Standing up he moved away from his desk, away from all of his papers and looked at his hands. Erik had taken souls, but then again Erik most likely didn’t know any better. He’d just been following the way he had always been taught, however, Erik had kept it from him so on some level he’d known it was wrong. Charles let out a shuddering gasp.

Then again, Erik was very much the type of man who would move to try to survive. If there was one thing Erik had it was monumental need for survival. Even in the short amount of time Charles had known Erik he could tell that the other man would’ve done anything to survive it. Even as he tried to rationalize Erik, Charles could tell he was half way towards hyperventilating. Hank had somehow managed to procure a paper bag and was holding it in front of his face, as if it would help. Charles batted away the bag before he stalked over towards the mirror, yet before he could do anything that he could later maybe regret Raven barreled into the room her blonde hair flying everywhere. Her eyes narrowed on Hank before she wordlessly told the man to go away. Hank, well-versed in all things Raven, immediately got the hint and ran from the room the bag still clutched in his hand.

“Moira called me, Charles,” Raven said exasperated. Charles blinked, mostly confused by the fact that his best friend was contacting his sister.

“Why?” he asked. He hadn’t seen Moira in a week instead insisting that he was very sick and that he needed to stay home. Plus, he’d convinced almost everyone that he was indeed sick, so she couldn’t know that he was faking it.

“She knows your faking Charles, we all know you aren’t really sick unless you want to call your newest obsession with this weird mirror thing is, and she’s worried. Rightly so too, because you are acting like _this_ ,” Raven said, she moved forward and wrapped a hand around Charles’ own. “Talk to me. I know I screwed up, but Charles we’ve never had problems telling each other the truth. So, just tell me everything.” Charles took a big gulp of air, steadying himself for the one thing he was fearful that maybe Raven would rebuke.

“Everything?” he asked, his voice sounding scratchy. Raven looked at him, locking eyes with him in all seriousness.

“Everything.” Charles knew that _everything_ could mean so much and so little at the same time. Plus, Raven would obviously be skeptical about the mirror world even if he did try to explain, Erik. “No judging,” Raven promised immediately. She held up both of her hands palms outwards, and Charles told her. He told her everything he knew because it was Raven and she had been his truest friend when they were little. As he spoke he could see her struggle with the thoughts racing through her mind. If he pushed forward harder maybe he could’ve immediately read her mind, but Charles trusted her with the truth he could at least give her the privacy to process it. But Raven doesn’t need it, she shook her head as if the clear her thoughts before she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle, nearly squeezing him to death. Maybe she thought he was insane and that he needed to be sent to some hospital to try to get over his break from reality, but when he reached towards her mind it was wrapped in love and caring towards him.

“Raven,” he breathed out, and his sister tightened her grip, her fingers plucking helplessly at his t-shirt.

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense, Charles, but I _know_ you and I know that you wouldn’t throw yourself into something this crazy sounding if it wasn’t for some iota of proof. Plus, you’re my brother and I miss you,” she said honestly, morphing into her natural form as she did. Charles cupped her face and placed a kiss to her brow. It’d been so long since he’d seen her in her natural form; it’d been so long since she felt comfortable in her natural form that it made Charles ache.

“Erik would’ve loved to see you like this,” Charles whispered. Raven leaned her head against his chest and let out a deep breath.

“Well then, let’s get your wayward boyfriend back, so he can see.” Charles could feel her unease tacked onto the words, she still wasn’t sure if Erik was okay, if he was still someone she could trust with her brother, and Charles understood that on a level but eventually she’d have to realize that he could choose his _boyfriends_ even if they were a kidnapped mutant who was raised in the mirror world and made to believe that he wasn’t human.

 

~*~

 

The return of his powers felt like only an small partical of the strength he had felt while around the device, yet as Erik leaned against another metal wall he wondered if maybe he could’ve calibrated the device to giving _him_ the power. As the thought lazily crossed his mind, Erik shook his head viciously. He wasn’t going to turn into Shaw. He rubbed tiredly at his eyes, and tried to focus on the infiltration. Shaw had kept from leaving the main tower, preferring to stay out of the way while other monsters fought and killed each other for ideals of freedom and safety. Some monsters were so brainwash that they seemed to believe that the only way to survive would be under Shaw’s thumb. Erik ignored the roll of nausea in his stomach. He still wasn’t fully recovered from the explosion, but he’d been adamant that he was going to go out on the last ditch effort to get Shaw before he took the entire building down on the man. Emma was beside him, no longer pristine in white not after the nasty gash one of Shaw’s minions had given her before they had crumpled to their knees holding onto their heads. She had sent him a smirk after that telling him that she could get used to having full use of her powers, Erik couldn’t agree more with her assessment. Having his powers back felt almost like coming home, except something was missing from allowing him to feel completely at ease and at home there, even with his powers thrumming within him happily so. Erik closed his eyes steadying his breath only to open them quickly when Emma nudged him. Just barely he caught sight of Shaw’s figure slipping out into the hallway before he swept into another room, a room that apparently made Emma hiss in distaste. Erik turned to look at her and arched a brow in question.

“I knew he was making something behind our backs. That’s why he had all these generals popping up and doing things for him, and probably why he destroyed your precious mirror. Now he’s apparently found a way to block me. If you go in there Erik, you’ll be flying solo until you shut the device off,” Emma whispered furiously. Erik stared at the door. He was probably the only one who Emma trusted to go in and take care of Shaw and not be offset by his charm, but he wasn’t so sure Emma could trust him to shut off the device and allow her to help him kill Shaw. “Erik!” Emma said sharply her eyes narrowing on his face. “You’re going to allow me to help you or else Shaw is going to use you as a beach ball in there. He thrives on being hit and things happening to him. I _know_ I’ve worked with him and I’ve seen the assassination attempts,” she snapped. Erik wasn’t quite ready for the barrage of images that Emma sent into his brain, she still wasn’t good with her control over her power or the finesse needed to put images in another’s brain. Yet even with the new throbbing headache, Erik was rather glad she’d shown him proof of what Shaw could do.

“All right then, but you’d better not step in when I eviscerate him,” Erik replied. He touched the pocket of his outfit almost in a reverent way, Emma just held up her hands.

“Don’t look at me, Sugar, I’d never stop you from killing that bastard. Hell you deserve it,” she murmured. Erik didn’t asked her what she meant by him deserving to kill Shaw, he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know at least not before he killed Shaw. What he needed to do would to be to keep his head. After he killed the man and could do nothing more to the body then he’d ask Emma what she meant about the comment. Instead he stood from their hiding spot and headed towards the room, Emma was controlling most of the guards allowing him to stroll right into Shaw’s room.

The door swung open without a hitch, yet Erik wasn’t quite ready for Shaw to be sitting in the middle of a room with a ridiculous helmet on his head. Shaw seemed to be trying to pull off a nonchalant lounge, but Erik was far too distracted by the helmet to really care if Shaw was artfully sprawled or sitting like ramrod straight.

“Do you like it? It keeps me protected from your telepath, bitch,” Shaw said with a grin. Erik rolled his eyes at the thought of Emma following him like some sort of lamb to the slaughter. If they were really anything, Emma was either the one in control or she was his equal partner. He did well in the midst of battle, but she did more than enough when they were just sitting and planning.

“I see, and what keeps you protected from _me_?” Erik asked. Once more he reached for his pocket, but he didn’t yet pull anything out. Instead he kept his hand there touching the area, keeping himself grounded.

“Emma didn’t tell you? I’m basically invincible, Erik. Hit me all you want, but you’ll never be able to withstand what I send right back at you,” Shaw said cheerfully. “So, we’re at a standstill here, you can’t hurt me and I don’t want to hurt you Erik.” The man purred at him, eyes sweeping over Erik like he was some sort of prize.

“And why is that Shaw?” Erik asked. As quietly as he could, he felt around the room for metal, anything he could use to get the stupid helmet off of Shaw. _Are you looking through my eyes?_ He sent out a question to Emma.

_Yes._

_I thought so, any ideas?_

_I don’t know, use the doorknob if you have to, but get that thing off_. He could hear the order even inside of his head. Erik smiled of course Emma was his little telepath bitch. He winced once she gave him a metal slap.

“Erik, Erik, Erik, you are my greatest accomplishment, and I mean that sincerely. I don’t know if I have ever twisted someone up so much like you, and you don’t even know what direction up is.” Shaw gloated, a smarmy smile curling his lips.

“That’s nice,” he replied. Shaw’s face startled, his eyes widening the second he knew he was out of his depth, and Erik just smiled as the metal pole lifted the helmet away from the man’s head. “Any more commentary you want to share?” he asked. But Shaw didn’t reply, or it was more that he couldn’t his body froze for a few moments before he heard Emma whisper tiredly: _Done, go get him, Sug_. Shaw lurched forward, nearly toppling from his seat before he caught himself by the arms of the chair.

“It looks like she couldn’t hold me,” Shaw sneered. For a moment, Erik sent up a look of hope that Emma had indeed been successful and that their theory worked. If not he’d just exhausted their one resource and he’d never have another chance. Erik pulled a sharp sliver over glass out of his pocket.

“I didn’t need her to hold you for too long, Shaw, or else this wouldn’t be fun,” Erik whispered holding the shard near his face, as if he were inspecting it. Shaw’s eyes too zeroed in on the shard before they widened. Erik grinned; good the man knew exactly what the mirror was from. “I read this interesting, story where killing a mirror creature could repair broken mirror, at least on our side. No cracks, nothing to show that the pathway had ever been destroyed. I found it interesting.” Shaw leapt from the chair, screaming in anger while he did with his hands and for a moment Erik was transported to his time in the boys’ home when the warden would scream at them and the one time the man had nearly killed him by wrapping his arms around his throat. He snapped out of the mental vision just in time to see Shaw’s hands reach of his own throat in some sort of bitter irony.

He didn’t have to think twice, no he only had to smile at Shaw’s face twisted in anger to shove the piece of Charles’ shattered mirror into the man’s gut. Puncturing Shaw’s stomach, Erik gave him a vicious chuckle before he ripped the makeshift blade across his stomach. There wasn’t much of flourish, but Erik stepped back from the stunned man only to kick the man down. Shaw landed on the ground with a loud _thump_ and a bone cracking screech as a pole shot through the man’s chest most likely puncturing his lung. Leaning down, Erik looked at the man dead in the eye and allowed his grin to unfurl even further. Shaw just gasped wetly in response.

“It looks like you were destroyed by your _greatest_ accomplishment,” Erik told him. _How very poetic_ , Frost whispered in his mind.

 

~*~

 

Charles stared at the mirror daring something to happen, though for the past month and a half he’d been sorely disappointed as nothing came through. No one appeared to either tell him that they killed Erik or tried to whisk him away. He’d long since lost the hope that Erik would reappear in the mirror and snark at him like they met. Charles spat out the toothpaste and stared at his sink for a good few minutes pondering the chance of his meeting with Erik being like book ends. It would be far too much like one of Raven’s romantic books. He glanced up ready to see how much his obsession had marred his face, yet his eyes didn’t lock with his own instead he looked at steely blue eyes that belonged to a far too familiar face. Charles let out a cry of surprise before he stumbled back against his wall. Erik just smirked at him. The image was so much like the beginning; Erik looking like everything he did was amusing beyond measure. The bottom of Charles’ stomach dropped out.

“Erik?” he squeaked out, his mouth working like a fish, gaping open. The man’s smile widened and Charles was immensely glad that he’d sent Raven away for the weekend with Hank. Immensely. He was also glad that his neighbors were most likely still doing things outside.

“Miss me?” he asked. Charles was about to retort with calling the man a bastard and a number of other names when Erik reached through the mirror and placed one hand delicately on the porcelain of the sink. The brunet followed the movement and as he did, he saw the new marks on Erik’s skin. He looked like he had been through hell and back, if his arm was anything to tell from. Yet, Charles just stood back and watched as Erik hoisted himself out of the rippling, usually solid mirror with a few grunts before he stumbled onto the ground. Gripping the other man’s arms, Charles could feel his body begin to tremble with anger, with relief, with happiness he didn’t know but he did know all he wanted to do was kiss the stupid smile off of Erik’s face. “I was expecting something like ‘ _Of course I did, you ass!_ ’ or something like that,” Erik teased. Charles decided right then he didn’t give a damn if it was unbecoming to make-out with a naked man who had just come out of a mirror, but he didn’t care for all he knew Erik was only staying one day before he could muster up an apology and bugger off.

He pressed his lips against Erik and he wasn’t ashamed at all when he pressed Erik against the sink, almost bending him backward over the cold surface, but Erik didn’t seem to mind either as he kissed Charles right back and place a hand on Charles’ hip, the other wrapping around the back of the his neck. Slowly, and regretfully before they could move forward, Charles pulled by his eyes sweeping over Erik’s naked body.

“What happened?” he asked looking over all the marks that covered Erik’s body. The other man didn’t flinch instead he glanced down at his form as if he couldn’t quite remember that there was something different about his body.

“War,” Erik whispered. “Or maybe it was more of a coup. Either way Shaw was overthrown so he can never get you.” Charles didn’t know whether to be touched by Erik’s declaration or to be afraid for what being overthrown meant to Erik. Yet, as he brushed against Erik’s mind he was still kept firmly out. Charles sighed and pressed his forehead against Erik’s as he processed all that Erik could mean.

“I’m assuming you at least had some friends,” Charles said, the _or else you wouldn’t have returned_ was left unsaid but the way Erik’s grip tightened on him, Charles knew that was received good and loud.

“My friend Emma, she’s like you except when I’m there she _can_ read my mind. She was sick and tired of all of Shaw’s ways of working, and she’d rather be in power,” Erik answered easily. Charles stamped down the jealously of someone else being in Erik’s mind and instead of focusing on the fact that Emma most likely knew about Erik. Yet, Erik didn’t seem to know about himself. If he did, Charles couldn’t imagine him not raging on about it or being so deep in a depression about someone offing his mother. Yet, Charles decided before the other shoe fell, before everything went to hell and back he’d at least get one night with Erik.

“I still owe you from the last time we were together,” he said out of nowhere. Erik blinked at him, frowning for a few moments. Charles laughed and pressed his lips ever so close to Erik’s ear. “I told you that I was going to ride, that fine ass of yours.” The taller man let out startled laugh before looking at him, amusement coloring his eyes.

“Are you now?” he asked. Charles nodded.

“Yes.”

“I think you’re a little overdressed,” Erik stated. Charles looked down at his outfit before allowing a lewd smile to cross his face.

“Now who said I was going to get completely undressed when I fuck you?” Charles asked. He stroked along Erik’s cheek and had to bite off a grin when Erik nearly went cross eyed. “I see that idea excited you.” Charles was about to add more, when Erik grabbed him more firmly and lifted him from the ground. “And you’re eager. Well, won’t this be fun.” Erik growled the rumble low in his chest. The next thing Charles knew was he on his back on the bed and Erik was on top him, his face buried against his neck. “You know I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to fuck you, Erik,” Charles growled, nipping at the taller man’s ear. Erik chuckled and once more Charles relished in the feel of his chest vibrating against him.

“Well then, Charles, why don’t you get on with it?” he asked. Charles dragged his face down to his and kissed him hard on the lips.

“I’m quite the man for foreplay, Erik. Especially when I’m not pissed and I know my baby sister is far, far away,” he whispered, grabbing Erik’s ass and grinding his hips down against him. Erik let out a deep groan, arching back and showing of his neck. Charles took advantage of and licked a stripe up to his chin. “I think that you’ll find that you approve,” he whispered. Erik’s deep responding groan was all he needed to know he’d hit the spot. Charles almost immediately, rolled them over so that he was at least on top before grinding his ass against Erik’s erection. Erik arched against him whining at the friction.

“Fuck,” he gasped out. Charles bent over licking up along Erik’s chest before biting the skin right above his nipple. Erik arched up like a rocket, letting out a burst of curses and groans. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he moaned. Charles chuckled against the flesh.

“That’s what we’re getting to, love,” he whispered, dragging a hand along Erik’s heated skin. The taller man writhed beneath him as he once more attacked his neck and chest. Charles swirled his tongue around an erect nipple before backing off only to blow cold air against it. Erik gasped and wiggled. “Eventually, I’m going to that the gorgeous cock into my mouth, and I’m going to suck you down. But before that I want you jabbering like a lunatic begging for me to give you some relief, and after that, oh, after that I am going to fuck you so hard Erik,” he promised. Erik seemed to like the idea as he whinnied again, and Charles liked to any noise he could draw out of Erik. He dragged a hand behind over Erik’s sensitive thighs and bit his lip when he felt the muscles twitch in anticipation.

“Charles,” Erik gasped out, hungry for a touch for a brush of fingers. Charles chuckled low and deep in his throat, his eyes hooded as he took in Erik’s flushed form. His own cock was straining against his zipper. He wanted to take Erik right then and there, but he knew patience even though Erik was making it rather difficult to hold onto. “Charles, please.” A shiver rolled down his spine at Erik’s wrecked voice. Maybe just once he wouldn’t fulfill his promise. Nodding his head, Charles shifted down Erik’s body until he mouth was right above his red cock.

“I am going to blow you now, Erik,” he whispered against the erect member. Erik sucked in a breath, his heated stare boring down on Charles as he wrapped his head around the tip. He swirled his tongue around the head and over the slit, pulling a groan out from Erik’s lips before he slide down along the shaft, hollowing his cheeks along the way. Erik’s hand grappled for his hair and pulled at it. Charles hummed and Erik’s hand almost tightened painfully on his hair as the man himself gasped and groaned. Using his hand, Charles covered the areas his mouth wasn’t getting to, wrapping his fingers around Erik’s leaking cock as he pulled back and pressed his lips to the head again. His tongue swiped over it almost like a cat, pulling out another incoherent noise from Erik. The other man’s thighs trembled as he laid beneath Charles, and the brunet couldn’t help but smirk at his handiwork. He took Erik into his mouth once more and with only a warning of a couple of taps on his shoulder sucked the man dry. Erik shook like a leaf, looking at Charles like he’d done something miraculous.

“Hand me the lube, would you?” Charles murmured against Erik’s hip. The auburn haired man almost dislodged Charles in his scramble for the bottle, but with a quick ‘ _shit, sorry_ ’ Charles was handed the bottle. He coated his fingers with the contents before beginning to prep Erik. His fingers entering the other man slowly. “It’s going to feel really, good trust me,” Charles promised, and he planned on keeping that one.

“I trust you,” Erik replied, his voice gruff from all the noises he had made. Charles pressed a kiss to the other man’s hip; he felt warmth spread through him at Erik’s admittance. With one hand, he unbuttoned his pants and pulled his cock out. Erik wasn’t quite ready, but Charles could feel the burn spreading through his body with anticipation. He inserted another finger and soothed Erik as his muscles clenched. Eventually the other man relaxed again Charles’ ministrations and soon he was ready for three. Charles waited until he knew for sure that Erik could handle him before he poured more lube onto his fingers before jacking his cock a couple times, slicking it.

With his pants practically on, he entered Erik. The other man’s knees bracket his waist and Charles fought against every part of his body that wanted to jackrabbit against Erik. There was something about his fully clothed body pressing and dragging against Erik’s sensitive skin that sent jolts of pleasure through Charles’ body. He pressed kisses against Erik’s face, whilst Erik gripped his hips trying to force him to go deeper. Erik clenched around him, making the drag all the sweeter. Even as he pressed into Erik, Charles knew he wasn’t going to last long, but he was going to leave his mark on Erik. Pressing his lips against Erik’s neck and bit, sucked, and licked along the skin marking it up much like Erik had done their first time fooling around. He kept it up, until he fell over the edge with a cry.

He shucked off his clothes, feeling the exhaustion of his previous actions and the long day weigh on his body, yet as he did he ached to ask Erik to stay. However, he knew whatever happened it would have to be Erik’s choice. Still he wrapped his arms around Erik’s body and pressed his face against Erik’s shoulder. The man in turn rolled to his side and wrapped his arms around Charles as well. There were no promises passed between each other, not when last time none were kept. The brunet fought the pull of sleep as long as he could; he scrambled for awareness if only to just watch Erik sleep.

But eventually he slept, only to awaken to another empty bed. Charles sat up, cradling his head he wondered for a moment if Erik had only been a wet dream, but as he looked up he saw the crumpled clothes and the bottle of lube on his nightstand. Quietly he tried to stomp down on the anger and irritation. Yet, instead he shook with it. Part of him had hoped that Erik wouldn’t leave him, that he wouldn’t be just some victory booty call. Still shaking, Charles climbed out of his bed and reached for the metal bat Raven had given him. _Just in case of burglars_ , she’d said. It wouldn’t be used for burglars, but Charles knew he’d feel a lot better after he was done.

He entered the bathroom and almost immediately he looked for a note, but unlike the time before there was nothing posted to the wall underneath his mirror. Erik had left without a word. Picking up the bat, he hefted it up and took a swing shattering the mirror with all the force he could while spitting curses not only at Erik but also at himself.  He kept swinging until his arms grew tired and until his eyes no longer felt hot. Charles let out a gasp of breath and leaned back against the wall.

The tears came eventually, rolling down his cheeks as frustration raged throughout his body. He loved the stupid mirror man and he had let him back into his bed and into his life with fragile hopes buried under his fake assurance that he’d be okay if he went with Erik once more. Charles let out a pitiful cry as he slid down to the ground, not caring if the shattered pieces cut his foot.

Twenty-feet away, the door swung open and Charles didn’t even care that Raven came home early. Except as the mind brushed against his, it was not one he recognized readily. Yet, he felt as if he should know it. It was ordered almost so much so that Charles was drawn to it. The mind felt like a machine and as he tentatively pushed against the mind he could almost feel the warmth of caring as well as a twinge of worry. Charles reached for the bat, despite his instincts assurance that the mind was safe it was too unknown for him not to go out with some protection.

“Charles?” Erik’s voice rang throughout the apartment, and the brunet lost his entire grip on the bat. He rushed out of the bathroom, completely ignoring the pain as one of the shards sliced through his foot. Instead he stared at Erik, who was holding a bag of what smelled like food and coffee. The man had gone out for breakfast, but that wasn’t what shocked Charles to the core.

“I can hear you. In here,” he whispered pressing his temple. Erik flushed looking away briefly.

 _I decided to stay. It broke my link to the mirror world, so I’m no longer shielded_ , Erik answered him mentally. Charles let out a cry of happiness before he launched himself at Erik and pressed his lips to the other man’s.

_So, you’re never leaving me then?_

_No, not unless you can’t stand me, but then again I probably won’t even leave then_. Charles grinned at the words.

 _Perfect_.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, that's all folks. I hope you enjoyed the roller coaster that is The Monster in the Mirror. And who knows maybe eventually I'll write more in this universe. Because goodness knows I left things open. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you to everyone who read this on Tumblr, to my wifey, to V, to Fuzzeh, actually everyone who cheered me on. A special thanks to Elsian who drew artwork inspired by this story. Ugh, this is the first finished story I have ever written. So thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. I feel like I just wrote an award speech.


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